Cathepsin D was purified about 1000-fold from human brain cortex by a procedure involving ammonium sulfate fractionation (30-70%), Sephadex G-75 chromatography, affinity chromatography on pepstatin-Sepharose and isoelectric focusing. The enzyme was assayed fluorometrically at pH 3.2, the substrates used were globin or haemoglobin modified with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate. 6 multiple forms of cathepsin D were resolved in the isoelectric focusing step with pI values 4.4, 4.8, 5.3, 6.2, 6.5 and 6.8. Km of pyridoxal-globin and pyridoxal-haemoglobin for all 6 multiple forms is 1.8-2.0 X 10(-5) M and 1.3 to 4 X 10(-6) M, respectively, and Ki of pepstatin is 2-4 X 10(-9) M. Gel filtration of the multiple forms on Sephadex G-100 column showed that each has a molecular weight of about 50 000. Human brain cathepsin D has a pH optimum of 3.2 with a smaller second optimum at pH 4.0 (pyridoxal-haemoglobin being used as substrate). All the multiple forms have the same pH-dependence curve. On SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the purified enzyme produced 3 bands approximately corresponding to Mr 50 000, 35 000 and 15 000. Study of the breakdown of substance P and its C-terminal heptapeptide by cathepsin D shows that cleavage occurs at the Phe-Phe linkages of both substrates tested.