Identification of Phe313 of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor as a site critical for the binding of nonpeptide GnRH antagonists

The dog GnRH receptor was cloned to facilitate the identification and characterization of selective nonpeptide GnRH antagonists. The dog receptor is 92% identical to the human GnRH receptor. Despite such high conservation, the quinolone-based nonpeptide GnRH antagonists were clearly differentiated by each receptor species. By contrast, peptide antagonist binding and functional activity were not differentiated by the two receptors. The basis of the differences was investigated by preparing chimeric receptors followed by site-directed mutagenesis. Remarkably, a single substitution of Phe313 to Leu313 in the dog receptor explained the major differences in binding affinities and functional activities. The single amino acid replacement of Phe313 of the human receptor with Leu313 resulted in a 160-fold decrease of binding affinity of the nonpeptide antagonist compound 1. Conversely, the replacement of Leu313 of the dog receptor with Phe313 resulted in a 360-fold increase of affinity for this compound. These results show that Phe313 of the GnRH receptor is critical for the binding of this structural class of GnRH antagonists and that the dog receptor can be "humanized" by substituting Leu for Phe. This study provides the first identification of a critical residue in the binding pocket occupied by nonpeptide GnRH antagonists and reinforces cautious extrapolation of ligand activity across highly conserved receptors.     

Structure of dog and rabbit precursors of atrial natriuretic polypeptides deduced from nucleotide sequence of cloned cDNA

The structure of precursors of dog and rabbit atrial natriuretic polypeptides was determined by nucleotide sequence analysis of cloned cDNA of mRNA encoding the peptides. The dog and rabbit precursors are 149 and 153 residues long having 23- and 25-residue putative signal peptides at their N-termini respectively. The 28-residue peptide with identical sequence to that of human, which has potent natriuretic activity, is located at the C-terminus of the dog precursor. The 28-residue peptide of identical sequence to that of mouse/rat is located at C-terminus of rabbit precursor followed by additional Arg-Arg sequence which is also found in rat/mouse precursors and is apparently removed during processing.     

Solid-phase synthesis and biological activities of gastrointestinal hormones: Secretin and motilin

Many successful solid-phase syntheses of peptide chains in the region of 20–40 amino acid residues have now been routinely reported. Utilizing standard solid-phase synthetic methodologies but, particularly, new and powerful purification techniques we have been developing rapid and efficient preparative routes for the numerous neuro-gastrointestinal peptides. In the present study, secretin and motilin were obtained in 16% and 10% yields, respectively, after simplified two-step purification of hydrogen fluoride-cleaved peptides by gel filtration followed by preparative high performance liquid chromatography. Peptides were essentially homogeneous by TLC and analytical high performance liquid chromatography. Secretin was found to have full biological activity when tested against a standard sample of natural material for effects on pancreatic secretion in the dog. Motilin exhibited full biological activity on interdigestive motility in the dog. Secretin has been reported to undergo rearrangement with loss of bioactivity during purification and prolonged storage. We observed no obvious problems during our abbreviated purification schedule and have found no loss of purity of peptide which has been kept for 6 months as powder lyophilized from dilute acetic acid.     

Species comparison of renal proteolytic activity for human myelin basic protein peptide 43-88

1. A species comparison was conducted on the proteolytic activity in human, dog, rabbit, guinea-pig and rat kidney which can degrade human myelin basic protein peptide 43-88. 2. In rat kidney the degrading activity occurred over a pH range of 4-11.5 with the greatest activities at pH 5 and 9. The peptide degrading activity in human, dog, rabbit and guinea-pig kidney was considerably less than in the rat and occurred predominantly at pH 7 with lesser activity at pH 9. 3. The effects of inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes indicated that the peptide degrading activities at the same two pH's of dog, rabbit and guinea-pig were similar to one another but differed from that of human. 4. These results indicate that the activity for degrading a potential autoantigenic material is widespread in renal tissue among different species and that different enzymes are involved. More generally, these findings suggest that renal proteinases differ among commonly used laboratory animals and also differ from the human enzymes.     

Phosphorylation of the (Na,K)-ATPase by a plasma membrane-bound protein kinase in friend erythroleukemia cells

A decrease in the activity of the (Na,K)-ATPase is an early and essential step in commitment of Friend virus-infected murine erythroleukemia cells to terminal erythroid differentiation. Plasma membranes from these cells were purified and shown to contain ouabain-inhibitable (Na,K)-ATPase present as approximately 0.4% of the total membrane protein. Protein kinase activity also co-purified with the plasma membrane and preferentially phosphorylated a Nonidet P-40 detergent-extractable 100,000-Da peptide. The 100,000-Da phosphopeptide migrated with the alpha subunit of dog kidney (Na,K)-ATPase when electrophoresis was carried out in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate in either 5 or 10% polyacrylamide gels. In two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, it separated into a series of spots between pH 5.1 and 5.4, while dog kidney alpha subunit appeared as a doublet at pH 5.3-5.4. When Nonidet P-40-solubilized plasma membranes were passed through a ouabain affinity column in the presence of Mg2+, Na+, and ATP, the 100,000-Da phosphopeptide was retained and could be eluted by ouabain. This peptide was also phosphorylated in living murine erythroleukemia cells, and proteolysis patterns of the peptide labeled in vitro, the peptide labeled in vivo, and the purified dog kidney alpha subunit using V8 protease were nearly identical. Phosphothreonine was detected in both the peptides labeled in vivo and in vitro.     

Use of an inhibitor to identify members of the hormone-sensitive lipase family

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) contributes importantly to the mobilization of fatty acids from the triacylglycerols stored in adipocytes, which provide the main source of energy in mammals. On the basis of amino acid sequence alignments and three-dimensional structures, this enzyme was previously found to be a suitable template for defining a family of serine carboxylester hydrolases. In this study, the HSL family members are characterized rather on the basis of their inhibition by 5-methoxy-3-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-3H-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-one (compound 7600). This compound inhibits mammalian HSL as well as other HSL family members, such as EST2 from the thermophilic eubacterium Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius and AFEST from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus. Various carboxylester hydrolases that are not members of the HSL family were found not to be inhibited by compound 7600 under the same experimental conditions. These include nonlipolytic hydrolases such as Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase and pig liver esterase, as well as lipolytic hydrolases such as human pancreatic lipase, dog gastric lipase, Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase, and Bacillus subtilis LipA. When vinyl esters were used as substrates, the residual activity of HSL, AFEST, and EST2 decreased with an increase in compound 7600 concentration in the incubation mixture. The inhibitor concentration at which the enzyme activity decreased to 50% after incubation for 5 min was 70, 20, and 15 nM with HSL, AFEST, and EST2, respectively. Treating EST2 and AFEST with the inhibitor resulted in an increase in the molecular mass, as established by performing matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis. This increase in the molecular mass, which corresponds approximately to the molecular mass of the inhibitor, indicates that a covalent enzyme-inhibitor complex has been formed. Surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of a trypsin digest of AFEST treated with the inhibitor or not treated showed the occurrence of an increase in the molecular masses of the "GESAGG"-containing peptide, which is compatible with the formation of a covalent complex with the inhibitor.     

狗肝脏苯甲二氮茸结合抑制因子的cDNA克隆及序列分析

在研究狗抗吗啡活性肽ＰＰＣ过程中,发现它与牛的ＤＢＩ（ｄｉａｚｅｐａｍｂｉｎｄｉｎｇｉｎｈｉｂｉｔｏｒ）的氨基酸序列有很高的同源性,但尚未见到有关狗的ＤＢＩ的文献报道,为了更好的探讨ＰＰＣ和ＤＢＩ相互间的关系,对狗的ＤＢＩ的ｃＤＮＡ进行了克隆和序列分析。本研究利用大鼠ＤＢＩ的基因片段为探针,从狗肝脏ｃＤＮＡ文库中,筛选得到了一阳性克隆,并进行了全自动和手工测序,得到了ＤＢＩ的全长基因。根据ＥＢＭＬｂａｎｋ序列检索,发现狗的ＤＢＩ核酸序列与牛的同源性为８１％,将其核酸序列翻译成氨基酸序列,进行同源序列比较,结果显示：狗的ＤＢＩ的氨基酸序列与猪、牛、人、酵母ＤＢＩ的同源性分别为８８．５％、８７．４％、８３．９％、４６．５％。研究还发现狗的ＤＢＩ序列与抗吗啡活性肽ＰＰＣＮ端６２个氨基酸只有两个不同,Ｃ端１７个氨基酸序列完全相同。只是ＰＰＣ比ＤＢＩ中间多了２３个氨基酸。     

Design of potent substrate-analogue inhibitors of canine renin.

Through a systematic study of structure-activity relationships, we designed potent renin inhibitors for use in dog models. In assays against dog plasma renin at neutral pH, we found that, as in previous studies of rat renin inhibitors, the structure at the P2 position appears to be important for potency. The substitution of Val for His at this position increases potency by one order of magnitude. At the P3 position, potency appears to depend on a hydrophobic side chain that does not necessarily have to be aromatic. Our results also support the approach of optimizing potency in a renin inhibitor by introducing a moiety that promotes aqueous solubility (an amino group) at the C-terminus of the substrate analogue. In the design of potent dog plasma renin inhibitors, the influence of the transition-state residue 4(S)-amino-3(S)-hydroxy-5-cyclohexylpentanoic acid (ACHPA)-commonly used as a substitute for the scissile-bond dipeptide to boost potency-is not obvious, and appears to be sequence dependent. The canine renin inhibitor Ac-paF-Pro-Phe-Val-statine-Leu-Phe-paF-NH2 (compound 15; IC50 of 1.7 nM against dog plasma renin at pH 7.4; statine, 4(S)-amino-3(S)-hydroxy-6-methylheptanoic acid; paF, para-aminophenylalanine) had a potent hypotensive effect when infused intravenously into conscious, sodium-depleted, normotensive dogs. Also, compound 15 concurrently inhibited plasma renin activity and had a profound diuretic effect.     

Possible medullary kappa hyperalgesic mechanism. I. A new potential role for endogenous opioid peptides in pain perception

The kappa-agonist, ethylketazocine, produces hyperalgesia in the acutely decerebrated dog as indicated by a shortening of the skin twitch reflex latency whereas fentanyl is inactive. Naloxone produces analgesia and antagonizes the hyperalgesic effect of ethylketazocine. Spinal cord transection decreases the latency of the skin twitch reflex and allowed the analgesic effect of fentanyl and ethylketazocine on this nociceptive reflex to become manifest. These observations indicate that there is a non-opioid analgesic and kappa hyperalgesic mechanism present in the pontine-medullary region of the dog brainstem. It suggests that the hyperalgesic mechanism is mediated by an endogenous kappa-opioid peptide and that the analgesic effect of naloxone is in part related to antagonism of the activity of this hyperalgesia producing opioid peptide.     

Localisation of VIP- and CGRP-like substances in the skin and sinus hair follicles of various mammalian species

Using an ultrastructural postembedding immunogold technique, we demonstrated vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)- and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like immunoreactivity in the Merkel cell dense-cored granules of skin and sinus hair follicles of adult cat and dog. The VIP-like substance was located in cat Merkel cells while both VIP- and CGRP-like substances were colocalised in dog Merkel cells. In cat Merkel cells, the magnitude of labelling of VIP was qualitatively higher than in dog Merkel cells. In the dog Merkel cell, CGRP appeared as the most abundant peptide. Dense-cored granules were labelled for these peptides. In addition, mast cells encountered in the dermal region of dog skin were also found to be immunolabelled by VIP antiserum. The immunoreaction was found to be confined to the secretory granules of the cells. Furthermore, all non-myelinated nerve plexuses encountered in the dermal region of the skin and the sinus hair follicles of the various mammalian species studied were immunolabelled by CGRP antiserum. The specific location was again restricted to the dense-cored granules present in these nerves. As VIP and CGRP have potent vasodilatory effects, our observations suggest that Merkel cells may play a separate or synergistic role in regulatory functions of the skin neuroendocrine cell, exerting their influence by paracrine, endocrine and neurocrine pathways, or a combination of these. Different methodologies of double labelling with different sizes of gold particles are also discussed.     

Determination of ketone body turnover in vivo with stable isotopes, utilizing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

JH imple and reliable method for the determination of ketone body turnover in vivo using a primed, continuous infusion of [3,4-13C2]acetoacetate is described. Mole percent enrichment of beta-[13C2]hydroxybutyrate and [13C2]acetoacetate is determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using electron-impact ionization and selected ion monitoring. Ketone body flux data are provided from preliminary dog experiments. The method is readily applicable to the study of ketone body metabolism in both laboratory animals and humans.     

Effect of N-methylation on the modulation by synthetic peptides of the activity of the complement-factor-B-derived serine proteinase CVFBb.

Although they share the active-site catalytic triad of less-specific enzymes such as trypsin and chymotrypsin, the serine proteinases of the complement and coagulation cascades each cleave a highly restricted set of substrates. Peptides with sequences similar to that at which C3 is cleaved by the alternative-pathway complement proteinase CVFBb were synthesized by solid-phase methodology and examined for their effects on the activity of this enzyme as measured by three different types of assays. It was found that a peptide methylated at the scissile bond was a far more effective inhibitor of the cleavage of the protein substrate C5 and of the lysis of guinea-pig erythrocytes by the alternative pathway than was the equivalent unmethylated peptide. Whereas the unmethylated peptide inhibited cleavage of the peptide substrate, the methylated peptide actually stimulated cleavage in this assay. This stimulation was found to be due to a 2.8-fold increase in kcat; the dissociation constant for the substrate was not altered significantly. One model consistent with this behaviour is that the binding of the activator peptide in the extended substrate-recognition region stabilizes a catalytically more active conformation of the active site. A small peptide substrate may have access to such an activated active site, whereas the larger substrate, C5, may be excluded from the site. These results demonstrate that the observed effect of a given compound on activity of an enzyme with an extended substrate-recognition region may depend upon the substrate.     

Dog and human acid beta-D-galactosidases are structurally similar.

The purification of dog liver acid beta-galactosidase is described. The dog enzyme migrated as a single major band on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate, with a molecular weight of 60000. Antiserum raised against purified human liver acid beta-galactosidase cross-reacted with beta-galactosidase from dog liver, but not with those from cat liver or Escherichia coli. Tryptic peptide maps of the dog and human acid beta-galactosidases indicate that 21 of the 24 peptides observed were homologous; a similar result was obtained after chymotryptic peptide mapping. We conclude that dog and human acid beta-galactosidases are structurally similar, and that canine GM1 gangliosidosis (acid beta-galactosidase deficiency) is an excellent model for the same disease in man.     

Identification of cDNA encoding motilin related peptide/ghrelin precursor from dog fundus

A novel protein expressed by entero-endocrine cells of the mouse stomach was named prepromotilin Related Peptide (ppMTLRP) since it shares sequence similarities with the prepromotilin (Tomasetto et al.). The mouse ppMTLRP was found identical to the rat precursor of ghrelin (ppghrelin), an endogenous ligand specific for the Growth Hormone Secretagogue receptor identified from rat stomach (Kojima et al.). In the present study the cDNA encoding the dog counterpart of ppMTLRP/Ghrelin has been isolated and sequenced. The dog ppMTLRP/Ghrelin cDNA showed scores of respectively 80% and 75% homology with its human and mouse counterparts. By translation of the dog ppMTLRP/Ghrelin cDNA sequences, two ORFs could be deduced encoding either a 117 amino acid ppMTLRP/Ghrelin or the deleted Gln14 ppMTLRP/Ghrelin, as it was also known in mouse, rat and man. The dog ppMTLRP/Ghrelin shared 91% similarity and 78% identity, and 89% similarity and 78% identity with the human and mouse ppMTLRP/Ghrelin proteins respectively. The best score of homology was found in the MTLRP/Ghrelin sequence itself. Indeed the dog MTLRP/Ghrelin peptide shared 100% similarity and 93% identity, and 96% identity and similarity, with the human and mouse MTLRP/Ghrelin. Using Northern blot analysis to study dog ppMTLRP/Ghrelin gene expression on dog adult gut tissues, maximal expression level was found in the stomach fundus and corpus, and no expression could be detected in the stomach antrum nor in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon or liver. In conclusion, we have identified ppMTLRP/Ghrelin from dog, and found that it is highly conserved with man, mouse or rat. The expression pattern along the gastro-intestinal tract is similar to the expression pattern previously described in mouse.     

Defective brush-border expression of intrinsic factor-cobalamin receptor in canine inherited intestinal cobalamin malabsorption

Ligand binding activity of intrinsic factor-cobalamin receptor (IFCR) was determined in homogenates and isolated brush-border membranes (BBM) of ileum and kidney from dogs exhibiting simple autosomal recessive inheritance of selective cobalamin malabsorption (Fyfe, J. C., Giger, U., Hall, C. A., Jezyk, P. F., Klumpp, S. A., Levine, J. S., and Patterson, D. F. (1991) Pediatr. Res. 29, 24-31). IFCR activity of affected dog ileal homogenates was 3-4-fold higher than normal whereas IFCR activity in affected dog kidney homogenates was one-tenth of normal. The recovery of IFCR activity in the BBM of ileum and renal cortex of affected dogs was 30- and 20-fold less than normal, respectively. The dissociation constant (Kd) for intrinsic factor-cobalamin was similar in BBM of both tissues and was the same in affected and normal dogs. In the affected dog ileal BBM, activities of alkaline phosphatase and sucrase-isomaltase and vesicular transport of glucose and Na(+)-taurocholate were normal. Immunoblots showed no IFCR cross-reactive material in the ileal or renal BBM of affected dogs. IFCR purified by affinity chromatography from kidney of both normal and affected dogs had an Mr = 230,000. However, amino acid analysis revealed that the affected dog IFCR had more lysine than the normal, and protease cleavage of the purified IFCRs revealed different peptide maps. Asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of both proteins were sensitive to peptide N-glycosidase F cleavage, but only the affected dog IFCR was endoglycosidase H sensitive. These results suggest that cobalamin malabsorption in this canine family is caused by inefficient BBM expression of IFCR due to a mutation of IFCR and its retention in an early biosynthetic compartment.     

Soil nutrient fluxes and vegetation changes on molehills

Abstract. The hypothesis that mole burrowing activity alters soil nutrient fluxes and that, as a response to the new conditions, a specialized guild of species develops on the molehills, was tested in an area located in the southwestern Spanish Pyrenees, on a spectrum of montane grassland communities that varies from xeric to temporally waterlogged. Evidence for an association between disturbance and nutrient availability was reported for nitrogen. Mole‐disturbed soils had elevated amounts of inorganic nitrogen compared to soils in surrounding pastures. At the first stages of mound revegetation, changes in nitrate flushes and in species competitive relationships following disturbance appeared to facilitate the establishment of ruderal and non‐mycorrhizal species. The diversity of the whole grassland was enhanced by the existence of these sets of species, abundant on mounds and rarer in the pasture. However, the difference was mainly quantitative, as exclusive colonizers of molehills were not found.     

Nitric oxide synthase-containing nerves and ganglia in the dog prostate: A comparison with other transmitters

Summary The distribution of nitric oxide synthase immunoreactive nerves in the dog prostate was compared to the total innervation (as estimated by protein gene product 9.5 immunoreactivity), and to that of adrenergic (tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive), cholinergic (acetylcholinesterase-positive), and some peptidergic nerves immunoreactive towards vasoactive intestinal peptide, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide, and helospectin. Clusters of ganglia with cell bodies containing acetylcholinesterase, or one of these six immunoreactive components, were found in the dorsal capsule. Coarse nerve trunks expressing these immunoreactive components extended from the ganglia, and divided into varicose terminals in the capsule and intraglandular smooth muscle strands, and gave off further branches, which surrounded acini and accompanied ducts. The labelling for nitric oxide synthase generally coincided with that for vasoactive intestinal peptide within cell bodies and nerves of various types. Cell bodies, nerve trunks and varicose terminals showing labelling for pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide and helospectin were generally also labelled for vasoactive intestinal peptide. The innervation pattern suggests that nitric oxide may act in concert with vasoactive intestinal peptide and related peptides in the control of prostatic smooth muscle activity and secretion.     

Differential structure-activity relationships of atrial peptides as natriuretics and renal vasodilators in the dog

Natriuretic-diuretic and vasodilator activities of synthetic atriopeptin (AP)-related peptides were examined in the anesthetized dog. We have selected, the naturally occurring, APIII as the reference compound for comparison with various related peptides. APIII is a 24 amino acid peptide with the sequence ser-ser-cys-phe-gly-gly-arg-ile-asp-arg-ile-gly-ala-gln-ser-gly-leu-gly- cys-asn-ser-phe-arg-tyr-OH. APII, another peptide isolated from atrial extracts, lacks the C-terminal arg- of APIII. N-terminal amino acid extensions on APIII or APII, exhibited enhanced natriuretic-diuretic effectiveness. Furthermore, the maximum response obtained by ser-leu-arg-arg-APIII and arg-arg-APIII were significantly higher and the dose-response curve was not parallel to that obtained with APIII. In contrast, there were no significant qualitative or quantitative differences between the renal blood flow responses produced by the N-terminal extended peptides and APII or APIII. These results suggest a heterogeneity of AP receptors in vascular and renal tubular tissues.