The amino acid sequences of frog heart atrial natriuretic-like peptide and mammalian ANF are closely related

Despite few studies conducted in non-mammalian species, there has been a number of reports pertaining to the occurrence of a natriuretic-like substance in lower organisms. Thus, an immunoreactive substance reacting with antibodies directed against mammalian atrial natriuretic factor has previously been detected both in heart atria and ventricles of a chordate, the frog. This substance was isolated and purified from frog heart atria and its amino acid sequence established. The sequence, Ala-Pro-Arg-Ser-Ser-Asp-Cys-Phe-Gly-Ser-Arg-Ile-Asp-Arg-Ile-Gly-Ala-Gln- Ser-Gly - Met-Gly-Cys-Gly-Arg-(Phe), is highly homologous to known mammalian ANF sequences. However, when aligned with the complete mammalian ANF precursor sequence at positions 121 to 151, it exhibits a single amino acid insertion at position 129 and other substitutions at positions 121, 125, 133, 135, 144, 147 and 148. Some evidence is also presented concerning the occurrence of uncleaved frog pronatriodilatin, the precursor form of ANF. This study represents the first report pertaining to the structure of a non-mammalian ANF and its precursor.