A plasminogen activator secreted by cultured human pancreatic carcinoma (Mia PaCa-2) cells has been purified to apparent homogeneity by procedures including Sepharose-L-arginine methyl ester affinity chromatography, Sephadex G-200 gel filtration, isoelectric focusing, and sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The plasminogen activator shares many properties with urokinase including: molecular weight (55 000), isoelectric point (8.7), heat stability (60 degrees C, 30 min), PH stability (1.5-10), and its mode of activation of plasminogen. The intracellular enzyme is membrane bound and can be solubilized by detergent. Solubilized activator has a molecular weight similar to that of the secreted enzyme as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The production of plasminogen activator by Mia PaCa-2 cells is totally inhibited by actinomycin D and cycloheximide.