UPDATE ON THE RENIN-ANGIOTENSIN SYSTEM - RECENT ADVANCES IN MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY

The major influence of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) on blood pre ssure control has focused interest on its contribution to the developm ent of hypertension in humans. Rapid progress has been made in all asp ects of the molecular biology of its components. Renin, angiotensinoge n, converting enzyme and, the angiotensin receptor gene have been clon ed. The possible role of the renin-angiotensin system in the pathogene sis of hypertension has been demonstrated in transgenic rats, which de veloped severe hypertension after integration of a mouse renin gene (R en-2) into their genome. Strikingly, these rats showed low plasma reni n activity but excessive extrarenal renin expression, supporting a rol e of tissue-specific renin-angiotensin systems in the control of blood pressure. New and highly sensitive methods, such as the polymerase ch ain reaction, have been succesfully used in study of the regulation of gene expression of these tissue-specific renin-angiotensin systems in hypertension, cardiovascular hypertrophy and heart failure.