The amino acid sequence of kinetensin, a novel peptide isolated from pepsin-treated human plasma: homology with human serum albumin, neurotensin and angiotensin

Utilization of blood by-products: An in silico and experimental combined study for BSA usage

In order to exploit industrial discards, protein enzymatic hydrolysis is a currently popular methodology for obtaining bioactive peptides. However, once released, most promising peptides have to be selected from the mixture. In this work, the suitability of pepsin (EC 3.4.23.1) to hydrolyse serum albumin in order to obtain bioactive peptides was assessed. Then, a suitable process to obtain best separation of bioactive peptides was evaluated, using polyethersulfone membranes at different pH values. Serum albumin was easily hydrolysed by pepsin, reaching a DH value of the 65.64 ± 1.57% of the maximum possible. A 23.25% of the identified peptides possessed high bioactivity scores (greater than 0.5), and one of them had reported bioactivity (LLL). Charge mechanisms always predominated over the sieve effect, and best transmission was accomplished at pH values close to the peptides isoelectric points. Basic and neutral peptides with the highest scores were always the most transmitted. Membrane material had greater influence than NMWCO in determining peptide transmission. In order to obtain purified fractions rich in peptides with high bioactivity scores from serum albumin, polyethersulfone membranes (applicable to industrial scale) of 5 kDa MWCO should be used at basic pH values after pepsin digestion.

Albutensin A and complement C3a decrease food intake in mice

Albutensin A (Ala-Phe-Lys-Ala-Trp-Ala-Val-Ala-Arg) derived from serum albumin dose-dependently decreased food intake after intracerebroventricular (10-50 nmol/mouse) or peripheral (0.3-1.0 micromol/mouse) administration in fasted conscious ddY mice. Albutensin A delayed gastric emptying and elevated blood glucose levels. Although albutensin A showed low affinity for bombesin receptor, it decreased food intake in bombesin receptor knockout mice, indicating that its inhibitory effect on feeding was not mediated through bombesin receptor. Then, we investigated whether the albutensin A-induced decrease in food intake was mediated by complement C3a and C5a receptors, because albutensin A had affinities for these receptors. Des-Arg-albutensin A, lacking affinity for C3a and C5a receptors, did not inhibit food intake. We found for the first time that centrally administered C3a (10-100 pmol/mouse) by itself decreased food intake in fasted mice. In contrast, C5a increased food intake after central injection. Based on these results, we conclude that the inhibitory effect of albutensin A on food intake is mediated through the C3a receptor.

Xenin--a review

Xenin, a 25 amino acid peptide, has been identified in human gastric mucosa in the search for a counterpart to the amphibian octapeptide xenopsin. Xenin is structurally related also to the hypothalamic and ileal peptide neurotensin and is, therefore, a member of the xenopsin/neurotensin/xenin peptide family. The biological activities of these peptides are similar: Xenin has been shown to inhibit pentagastrin-stimulated secretion of acid, to induce exocrine pancreatic secretion and to affect small and large intestinal motility. In the gut, xenin interacts with the neurotensin receptor. Radioimmunoassay and chromatography of postprandial plasma in humans indicate the release of xenin into the circulation. The identification of a 35-amino acid precursor peptide of xenin - proxenin, and a review of the Gen-bank revealed that xenin represents the N terminus of a cytosolic coat protein (alpha-COP) from which xenin can be cleaved by aspartic proteinases such as pepsin and cathepsin E. The physiological role of the peptide xenin is not known.

Potencies of various neurotensin-(8-13) analogs for inhibition of heat-induced edema in the anesthetized rat

Peptides of the neurotensin (NT) and xenopsin (XP) families inhibit vascular leakage in various models of tissue injury. In this study, we measured the potency of NT fragments, NT analogs and NT-(8-13) analogs for inhibition of thermal edema induced by immersion of the anesthetized rat's paw in 58 degrees C water for 1 min. The pattern of anti-edema potencies seen with sixteen NT-(8-13) analogs correlated well with the pattern of activities obtained in binding measurements to rat brain membrane preparations and to activities in isolated organ preparations. Replacement of Tyr11 with Trp in NT-(8-13) and Arg8 with D-Arg resulted in an analog [D-Arg8, Trp11]NT-(8-13) which was 5-times more potent than NT-(8-13). Substitution of D-Arg for Arg8 and Arg9 in NT-(8-13) produced analogs that retained anti-edema activity but with decreased effects on gut motility and hypotension.

Isolation and characterization of ovokinin, a bradykinin B1 agonist peptide derived from ovalbumin

A vasorelaxing peptide was purified from a peptic digest of ovalbumin, after three steps of reverse-phase HPLC. The structure of the peptide was Phe-Arg-Ala-Asp-His-Pro-Phe-Leu, which corresponded to residues 358-365 of ovalbumin. The peptide was named ovokinin. Ovokinin showed relaxing activity for a canine mesenteric artery (EC50 = 6.3 microM). The relaxing activity was blocked by the bradykinin B1 antagonist [des-Arg9] [Leu8]bradykinin, but not by the B2 antagonist Hoe 140. Ovokinin binds to B1 receptors (IC50 = 64 microM). Prostaglandin I2 was released from the artery after ovokinin stimulation as a relaxing factor. Thus, ovokinin is a weak bradykinin B1 agonist peptide derived from food proteins.

Purification and primary structure of alligator neurotensin

The gastrointestinal neurohormones of reptiles have been poorly characterized structurally. Neurotensin has been purified to apparent homogeneity from an extract of the small intestine of the alligator, Alligator mississipiensis. The primary structure of the peptide (pGlu-Leu-His-Val-Asn-Lys-Ala-Arg-Arg-Pro-Tyr-Ile-Leu) is identical to that of chicken neurotensin. The data provide further evidence for a close phylogenetic relationship between crocodilians and birds.

Stimulated rat mast cells generate histamine-releasing peptide from albumin

Media conditioned by compound 48/80-stimulated rat mast cells generated immunoreactive histamine-releasing peptide (HRP) when incubated at physiological pH with bovine serum albumin and the carboxypeptidase inhibitor, O-phenanthroline. The generation of immunoreactive HRP (IR-HRP) was time (after 3 h the concentration of IR-HRP was 20 nM), temperature, and pH dependent and was prevented by omitting albumin, by using media conditioned by nonstimulated mast cells, or by pretreatment of mast cells with disodium cromoglycate, an inhibitor of mast cell secretion. The amount of IR-HRP generated increased linearly with the number of mast cells stimulated and varied directly with the concentration of conditioned media. After removal of the media from stimulated mast cells, the remaining cell pellet retained its ability to generate IR-HRP for up to 8 h. Stimulation of mast cells by either neurotensin or substance P, or of sensitized cells by anti-IgE serum, also produced conditioned media that generated IR-HRP. The amount of IR-HRP formed by various conditioned media or by stimulated cell pellets was dependent upon the concentration of O-phenanthroline used. Including the chymase inhibitor, chymostatin, prevented the formation of IR-HRP in a dose-dependent manner. HPLC analysis showed four peaks of IR-HRP. The major one coeluted with synthetic HRP. These results indicate that the peptide, HRP, can be generated by stimulated mast cells incubated in the presence of albumin. They suggest that a chymase-like enzyme secreted by the mast cell is able to cleave albumin to yield HRP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pharmacokinetics and biological activity of kinetensin in conscious sheep

Kinetensin is a nonapeptide, originally isolated from pepsin-treated plasma, that shares some sequence homology with the C-terminal end of neurotensin. The present study was designed to determine, by infusing kinetensin to conscious sheep, the pharmacokinetics and a neurotensin-like biological activity (pancreatic polypeptide response) of kinetensin. Kinetensin was rapidly metabolized, approximately 200-fold more rapidly than neurotensin. The majority of the metabolism occurred in the circulation as demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro. The lung and gut cleared kinetensin also. Inhibition of converting enzyme, present in highest concentration in the lung, abolished lung clearance but was without effect on kinetensin metabolism by the gut or in the general circulation. Arterial infusion of kinetensin which achieved high blood kinetensin levels at the pancreas did not increase plasma pancreatic polypeptide. We conclude that the extremely rapid degradation of exogenous kinetensin, together with the lack of biological activity, makes it unlikely that kinetensin plays a role as a circulating regulatory peptide. Nevertheless, since the putative kinetensin substrate circulates at microM concentrations, it is feasible that kinetensin is generated and metabolized at the target organ.

Generation of xenopsin-related peptides from tissue precursors by media conditioned by endotoxin-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages

Incubation of media conditioned by endotoxin-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages generates immunoreactive xenopsin (iXP) when incubated with acid extracts of various tissues of the rat. The generation of iXP, as measured by specific radioimmunoassay and confirmed by HPLC analysis, increased as the length of the incubation period increased and was inhibited by pepstatin, prior boiling of the conditioned media, or by omitting either the tissue extract or the conditioned media. The pH optimum for the generation of iXP was 3.0. The generated iXP showed biological activity in that stimulated histamine secretion from isolated rat mast cells and this secretory response was prevented by metabolically poisoning the cells. In addition, the generated iXP stimulated contraction of the isolated guinea pig ileum. In this regard, it was similar to neurotensin (NT). Tissue precursor levels for iXP, as measured by this system of generation, were highest in kidney, liver, and skin and lowest in skeletal muscle and plasma. These results suggest to us that during the inflammatory response, the NT-related peptide, xenopsin, can be generated from tissue precursor(s) by enzymes secreted by invading macrophages. The generated XP may then affect the participating cells of inflammation.

Human mast cell proteases hydrolyze neurotensin, kinetensin and Leu5-enkephalin

Purified mast cell carboxypeptidase cleaved the C-terminal leucines from Leu5-enkephalin (Leu-ENK), neurotensin (NT), and kinetensin (KT), with Km values of 36, 16, and 15 microM, and kcat values of 44, 51, and 53 s-1, respectively. To better predict potential in vivo hydrolysis products generated by mast cell proteases, these peptides were incubated with released skin mast cell supernatants. Leu5-enkephalin was hydrolyzed only by carboxypeptidase. Kinetensin was cleaved by tryptase, chymase, and carboxypeptidase to yield KT(1-3), KT(1-7), KT(1-8), KT(4-7), and KT(4-8), the last two peptides by the concerted action of two of the proteases. NT(1-11) and NT(1-12) were generated from neurotensin by chymase and carboxypeptidase, respectively.

Isolation and structures of xenopsin-related peptides from rat stomach, liver and brain

Using radioimmunoassay for detection, a mammalian counterpart to amphibian xenopsin (XP) was isolated and sequenced from pepsin-treated extracts of three different rat tissues and shown to be H-Phe-His-Pro-Lys-Arg-Pro-Trp-Ile-Leu-OH. This peptide, which shares six of the eight residues in XP, existed primarily in large molecular form(s) in the rat from which it could be liberated by the enzyme, pepsin. The XP-related sequence was differentially distributed through tissues, with concentrations ranging from ca. 80 pmol/g in diaphragm and skeletal muscle to ca. 800 pmol/g in stomach, liver and intestine. Like XP, the mammalian peptide potently crossreacted in a radioreceptor assay for neurotensin. These results prove the existence of radioreceptor-active XP-related sequences in multiple tissues of the rat.

Characterisation of xenopsin immunoreactivity derived from pepsinised human skin and possible mechanism of in vivo generation

Human skin was subjected to a variety of extraction and enzymatic digestion procedures. Extracts and digests were subjected to neurotensin and xenopsin radioimmunoassays of known specificity. No neurotensin immunoreactivity was detected in any preparation with any region-specific antiserum. C-terminal xenopsin immunoreactivity was present in skin homogenates following incubation with both soluble and solid-phase pepsin and in those incubated with a leucocyte lysate or purified cathepsin D. The generation of xenopsin immunoreactivity was dependent on low pH and enzymes of pepsin-type specificity acting on a tissue precursor of approximately 30 kDa. Gel permeation chromatography of skin-derived xenopsin immunoreactivity identified a single molecular species larger than synthetic xenopsin which was resolved into two components by reverse-phase HPLC with retention times similar to synthetic xenopsin and kinetensin. Human skin thus contains a high-molecular-weight precursor protein and an endogenous acid protease, cathepsin D, capable of generating a peptide of similar size and C-terminal structure to amphibian xenopsin under acidic conditions such as might occur locally in wounds or at sites of inflammation.

Canine neurotensin, neurotensin6-13 and neuromedin N: primary structures and receptor activity

Canine neurotensin (NT) and neuromedin N (NMN) were isolated from extracts of ileal mucosa using radioimmunoassay for detection. The structures determined were consistent with those predicted by earlier cDNA work. The molar ratio of NT to NMN was ca. 7, suggesting that the NT/NMN precursor, which contains one copy of each peptide, undergoes complex posttranslational processing or that other NT-precursors lacking NMN exist. In addition to NT, small quantities of NT6-13 and NT2-13 were obtained. Native and synthetic preparations of these peptides were indistinguishable in a radioreceptor assay employing rat brain membranes and 125I-labeled NT; NT6-13 was ca. 8-times more potent than NT and NMN was about one-sixth as potent as NT. NT6-13 was also ca. 10 times more potent than NT in inhibiting spontaneous contractile activity in longitudinally-oriented smooth muscle strips of porcine jejunum. Preparations of intestinal N-cells as well as N-cell vesicles also appeared to contain NT2-13 and NT6-13; however, it is not yet clear whether these peptides are utilized physiologically or simply represent metabolites of NT. These results suggest that further work on the processing of NT precursor and on biologic abilities of partial sequences of NT could be fruitful.

Characterisation of neurotensin-immunoreactivity in porcine ileum using region-specific radioimmunoassays and chromatographic fractionation: isolation and primary structure of porcine neurotensin

1. Neurotensin-immunoreactivity has been characterised in porcine ileum using region-specific radioimmunoassay coupled to chromatographic fractionation. 2. Two immunoreactive peptides were identified. 3. Peptide 1 was immunochemically, chromatographically and structurally identical to bovine neurotensin. 4. Peptide 2 exhibited novel immunochemical and chromatographic characteristics and represents a new neurotensin-related peptide.

Albuminoid molecules: a novel, variability-generating cell-surface receptor system?

The mechanisms by which lymphoid cells produce infinitely variable molecules of the immunoglobulin protein superfamily have been recently elucidated. These molecules serve, in part, as the mediators of cell:cell recognition and interaction among lymphoid cells. However, the generality of those molecular mechanisms to occur in non-lymphoid cell types has not yet been established. In this paper, we propose that the serum albumin superfamily of proteins has the necessary characteristics to serve analogous functions in epithelioid cells, and we critique recent evidence which leads to this hypothesis.

Stimulation of histamine release by the peptide kinetensin

The peptide kinetensin isolated from pepsin-treated human plasma induced a dose-dependent release of histamine when exposed to rat peritoneal mast cells. The threshold concentration was around 10(-6) M, the ED50 was 10(-5) M, and the optimal concentration of between 10(-4) to 10(-3) M released 80% of the total histamine. Kinetensin was 10 to 100 times less potent than neurotensin and equipotent with the opioid peptide dynorphin. The histamine release was clearly temperature-dependent, with no release occurring at 0 degrees or 45 degrees C and with an optimum around 37 degrees C. The histamine release was significantly reduced in the absence of extracellular calcium. Kinetensin also induced a dose-dependent increase in vascular permeability when injected intradermally into rats. The findings indicate that kinetensin is a potent histamine releaser in the rat and may serve as an inflammatory mediator.

Neurotensin metabolism in the rat: contribution of the kidney

The kidney plays a key role in the metabolism of neurotensin (NT). We have examined the renal mechanisms of NT clearance by measuring plasma NT basally and after 45 min infusion of NT(1-13) in intact rats, anephric rats (no glomerular filtration, no peritubular metabolism) and ureteral ligated rats (reduced filtration). Plasma NT was measured by radioimmunoassay with both C (biologically active end) and N terminal directed antisera. In anephric and ureteral ligated rats, basal plasma NT like immunoreactivity measured with either antisera was increased 3-fold compared with unoperated rats. C terminal concentrations were higher than N indicating that a C terminal variant of NT was present in basal plasma. Infusion of NT(1-13) increased N terminal NT from 36 +/- 3 to 249 +/- 35 pmol/l (p less than 0.01) in unoperated rats with significantly larger increases in the renally compromised groups. This was reflected in the reduced metabolic clearance rates (measured with the N terminal directed antisera) in the anephric (16 +/- 1 ml/kg/min) and ureteral ligated (17 +/- 3 ml/kg/min) rats when compared with the control rats (26 +/- 4 ml/kg/min). The similar reductions in the anephric and ureteral ligated rats suggested that the decrease in N terminal NT metabolism was from the absence of filtration. Infusion of NT did not increase C terminal NT immunoreactivity in intact, anephric and ureteral ligated rats showing that the C terminal end was extremely labile. However when endogenous converting enzyme activity was blocked by captopril administration there was a significant increase in C terminal immunoreactivity suggesting a role for converting enzyme like proteases in the clearance of the biologically active end of NT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Precursor forms of neurotensin (NT) in cat: processing with pepsin yields NT-(3-13) and NT-(4-13)

Basic proteins present in 0.1 N HCl extracts of feline CNS and intestine were found to liberate immunoreactive neurotensin (iNT) when treated with hog pepsin. These protein substrates were separated using Sephadex G-25, Sephadex G-75 and reverse-phase HPLC. In a calibrated SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system, the major substrate from cat ileum exhibited a molecular weight of ca 16 kDa and minor substrates were observed at 30, 40 and 65 kDa. As shown previously for synthetic NT, pepsin-treatment of feline ileal NT converted it into the fully immunoreactive NT-(4-13) fragment (yield, 95%). When treated with pepsin, the partially purified ileal substrates gave rise to 4 immunoreactive peptides, one of which (ca 15% of total) eluted with the same retention time as NT-(4-13) while the major peptide formed (ca 40% of total) eluted near to the position of NT-(3-13). Both these products reacted equally well with two different antisera towards the C-terminal 5- and 8-residues of NT and were not recognized by an N-terminal antiserum. Experiments using various proteases demonstrated that the NT-related sequence(s) were located internally in each substrate and suggested that they were bounded by double basic residues. Substrate activity in isotonic homogenates of feline spinal cord, brain, adrenal and ileum cosedimented with iNT during equilibrium centrifugation, apparently in association with vesicle and/or synaptosomal particles. These findings indicate that basic proteins, colocalized with NT in vesicle-like particles of CNS, adrenals and ileum, could serve as precursors to this peptide, being liberated by pepsin-related enzyme(s).

Neurotensin-like immunoreactivity generated by pepsin from human plasma and gastric tissue

The present study demonstrates precursors of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity (NTLI) endogenous to human gastric tissue and plasma, and the existence of a gastric NTLI-generating enzyme system. The molecular size of the NTLI-precursors in plasma and gastric tissue were estimated by gel permeation chromatography to be ca 50,000-60,000 and 60,000-70,000 Da, respectively. The neurotensin-like peptide generated from the precursor was detected with a carboxyl-terminally directed antiserum but did not cross-react with an amino-terminally directed antiserum. A neurotensin-like peptide isolated from pepsin-treated human plasma was characterized by mass spectrometry and its amino acid sequence determined. This novel nonapeptide, referred to as kinetensin, failed to affect pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion or blood pressure in the rat. Sequence homologies between neurotensin, kinetensin and proteins of the serum albumin family suggest a common evolutionary origin and raise questions regarding albumin-like proteins as precursors of regulatory peptides.

Xenopsin- and neurotensin-like peptides in gastric juice from patients with duodenal ulcers

Using an anti-serum directed against the COOH-terminal region of neurotensin and an anti-serum raised xenopsin in radioimmunoassays, the presence of neurotensin- and xenopsin-like immunoreactivity in Sep-pak extracts of human gastric juice was demonstrated. An anti-serum directed against the NH2-terminal to central residues of neurotensin and an anti-serum directed against a conformation, present only in the intact peptide, did not detect immunoreactivity in the juice. Infusions of pentagastrin at doses of 0.75 micrograms kg-1 h-1 and 1.5 micrograms kg-1 h-1 resulted in significant (P less than 0.05) increases in the total amount of xenopsin-like, but not neurotensin-like, immunoreactivity released in the juice compared with basal release. No significant differences in the release of xenopsin- or neurotensin-like immunoreactive were observed between patients with selective proximal vagotomy and patients without operation. Analysis by gel permeation chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography demonstrated that both the neurotensin- and xenopsin-like immunoreactivity was heterogeneous and an increase in molecular complexity on pentagastrin-stimulation was observed. As both neurotensin and xenopsin inhibit gastric exocrine activity, the presence of immunochemically related substances in gastric juice may have physiological relevance.

Microsequence analysis of peptides and proteins. VI. A continuous flow reactor for sample concentration and sequence analysis

We have designed and tested a continuous flow reactor (CFR) for microsequence analysis of peptides and proteins. The CFR forms the site for immobilization of the peptide or protein substrate and automated Edman chemistry. The CFR was constructed from 0.125-in.-o.d., 0.0625-in.-i.d. Teflon tubing (length 2-3 cm) containing 5-10 mg of Polybrene-coated, spherical, porous silica (100-200-micron particle size). The silica is retained in the CFR with porous Teflon filters (Zitex) at the bed bottom and optionally at the bed top. The i.d. of the CFR was selected for a tight press fit when 0.0625-in.-o.d. Teflon lines are inserted at the top and bottom of the CFR. This design allows the replacement of the existing cartridge/glass fiber disk found in conventional microsequencers with a CFR with a minimal amount of changes. The advantages of the CFR over the previous design include a lower background or noise level and no need to precycle Polybrene before sample application, and the entire unit is inexpensive and therefore disposable. We believe that the decrease in noise, especially the decrease in the commonly observed diphenylthiourea peak, is due to the more direct flow path and relative absence of unswept area in the CFR. Several standard peptides and proteins were sequenced in the CFR to demonstrate the improved results. A direct comparison to the cartridge/glass fiber disk design demonstrated less background and higher initial and repetitive yields for the CFR. An additional advantage is the ability to directly concentrate samples on CFRs containing reverse-phase packing. We have successfully concentrated 1.0-ml samples (200 pmol) onto 5 mg of octyldecylsilyl-derivatized silica in yields of 95-100%. The resulting samples were microsequenced after addition of Polybrene-coated silica to the CFR with high initial and repetitive yields. This methodology promises to improve sample handling and microsequence analysis of low picomole amounts of peptides and proteins.