Increasing evidence indicates that the adrenal cortex of most mammalian species expresses distinct forms of cytochrome P-450(11 beta), a steroidogenic enzyme that catalyses the terminal steps in the biosynthesis of both glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. In the human, mouse, and rat, two genes have been isolated, designated CYP11B1 and CYP11B2. The product of CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) is required for the successive 11 beta-, 18-hydroxylations and 18-oxidation of deoxycorticosterone that lead to the production of aldosterone in the zona glomerulosa. In contrast, the product of CYP11B1 (11 beta-hydroxylase) mediates only the 11 beta-hydroxylation of deoxycorticosterone and 11-deoxycortisol. The recent identification of these two P-450(11 beta) isozymes mandates further analysis of their expression in different zones of the adrenal cortex, both under basal conditions and in response to conditions known to alter mineralocorticoid biosynthesis. To evaluate the expression of the two isozymes in different adrenocortical zones, we performed Northern blotting analyses with specific oligonucleotide probes that discriminated between the two forms of rat P-450(11 beta). The transcripts detected by the two probes were of similar size (2.7 kilobase), but differed in their zonal distribution: aldosterone synthase P-450 messenger RNA (mRNA) was detected only in zona glomerulosa, whereas 11 beta-hydroxylase P-450 was expressed in both zona fasciculata-reticularis and zona glomerulosa. Next, we analyzed the response of these two genes to various physiological and pharmacological interventions known to affect aldosterone biosynthesis. High potassium or low sodium diet given to rats for 1 week increased aldosterone synthase P-450 mRNA levels by approximately 5- and 6-fold, respectively. These increases, moreover, were significantly attenuated by treatment with captopril, an inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme. In contrast, neither dietary manipulation significantly affected 11 beta-hydroxylase P-450 mRNA levels in any zone. Thus, stimulation of the terminal steps of aldosterone biosynthesis by variations in dietary intake of monovalent cations involves regulation of aldosterone synthase P-450 mRNA levels. Finally, captopril inhibited potassium induction of aldosterone synthase P-450 mRNA levels despite the presence of low plasma renin activity in the potassium-treated rats. This finding implicates intraadrenal angiotensin II formation in the effect of potassium on mineralocorticoid production.