Presence of sauvagine-like epitopes in the interrenal gland of the bullfrog Rana catesbeiana

Immunocytochemistry was used to investigate the presence of corticotropin-releasing factor-like peptides in the interrenal (adrenal) glands of the bullfrog Rana catesbeiana by using specific antisera raised against synthetic nonconjugated rat/human corticotropin-releasing factor, urotensin I, and sauvagine. From these three antisera, covering a broad range of corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivities, only the sauvagine antiserum gave positive immunoreactivity. Sauvagine immunoreactivity was found in cortical cells grouped into cords in the renal zone of the interrenal gland. The central and subcapsular cords were less stained. Tyrosine hydroxylase-positive chromaffin cells were not sauvagine-immunoreactive. The immunoreactivity was abolished, in all cases, by previous immunoabsorption of the sauvagine antiserum with synthetic sauvagine (0.1 7M), but it was not eliminated by sucker (Catostomus commersoni) urotensin I, sole (Hippoglossoides elassodon) urotensin I, sucker corticotropin-releasing factor, rat/human corticotropin-releasing factor, or ovine corticotropin-releasing factor (0.1-10 7M). In a sauvagine radioimmunoassay, interrenal extracts displaced ¹²⁵I-sauvagine from antiserum only partially, and not in parallel with the sauvagine standard curve. The results suggest that the sauvagine immunoreactivity in the R. catesbeiana interrenal gland may represent a novel sauvagine-like peptide.