THE NEUROHYPOPHYSIAL HORMONES OF THE AMPHIBIANS: COMPARISON OF THE HORMONES OF RANA ESCULENTA AND XENOPUS LAEVIS

Intracerebroventricular injection of arginine vasotocin induces elevation of blood pressure in anesthetized trout

The present investigation assessed the ability of the neurohypophysial nonapeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT) to centrally regulate the cardiovascular activity in fish. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of AVT (0.4 to 50 ng/kg b.wt.) in anesthetized trout resulted in a dose-related increase in blood pressure (BP) without any consistent changes in heart rate. For doses of AVT ranging from 2 to 50 ng/kg b.wt., BP remained elevated during at least 25 min after ICV injection. Systemic (intraarterial) administration of the same doses of AVT appeared to be less efficient than ICV injection, except for the highest dose (50 ng/kg) which evoked a similar rise in BP as that observed after ICV administration. In contrast to AVT, a high concentration of neuropeptide Y (10 micrograms/kg b.wt., ICV) caused only a slight increase of BP. The results suggest that AVT acts centrally to regulate BP in fish. These data, together with the widespread distribution of AVT-immunoreactive fibers and AVT binding sites in the brain, support the notion that, in fish, AVT may play neuromodulator and/or neurotransmitter functions.

Hydrins, hydroosmotic neurohypophysial peptides: osmoregulatory adaptation in amphibians through vasotocin precursor processing

From neurointermediate pituitary glands of Xenopus laevis and Rana esculenta, previously unreported peptides termed hydrins, active on water permeability of frog urinary bladder and frog skin (Brunn or "water-balance" effect), have been isolated and sequenced. These peptides seem to be derived from the pro-vasotocin-neurophysin precursor. Hydrin 1, found in Xenopus, has been identified as vasotocin C-terminally extended with the Gly-Lys-Arg sequence; hydrin 2, found in Rana, has been identified as vasotocin C-terminally extended with glycine. Hydrin 2 has been detected in several Ranidae (R. esculenta, Rana temporaria, Rana pipiens) and Bufonidae (Bufo bufo, Bufo ictericus) and appears to have a large distribution in terrestrial or semiaquatic anurans. Hydrins, in contrast to vasotocin, are not active on rat uterus or rat blood pressure. They are absent from other vasotocin-bearers such as birds and could be involved specifically in water-electrolyte regulation of amphibians.

An amphibian two-domain 'big' neurophysin: conformational homology with the mammalian MSEL-neurophysin/copeptin intermediate precursor shown by trypsin-sepharose proteolysis

A 'big' frog (Rana esculenta) neurophysin, encompassing sequences homologous to mammalian MSEL-neurophysin and copeptin, has been passed through a trypsin-Sepharose column in order to compare its conformation with that of the two-domain intermediate precursor isolated from guinea pig. Whereas the polypeptide possesses 8 arginine residues, only two cleavages were observed located in a putative inter-domain sequence (at Arg-94 and Arg-114). Because free vasotocin has been isolated from the frog, it is assumed that pro-vasotocin has a three-domain conformation similar to that of pro-vasopressin but processing in amphibians involves only one step rather than two steps as in mammals.

The hypothalamo-hypophyseal system of Rana temporaria under osmotic stimulation with special reference to the hypothalamo-median eminence-distal lobe axis

The secretory activity of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system in the frog Rana temporaria under conditions of dehydration has been studied histologically using two parameters, the amount of stained neurosecretory material and the amount of neurosecretory material labelled by a radioactive precursor. The results are indicative of an increased secretory activity of the hypothalamo-neural lobe system as a result of water deprivation. In addition the involvement of the preoptic nucleus-median eminence axis in osmoregulation is confirmed. The pattern of distribution of autoradiographic silver grains over the median eminence together with data from literature support the idea that mesotocine is involved in the regulation of the activity of the adenohypophysis.

A gonadotropin-like thermostable peptide, prepared from bovine anterior pituitary, inducing spermiation in the frog Rana esculenta (L.) and binding to a rat ovarian FSH receptor

A thermostable peptide, inducing sperm release in Rana esculenta L. and having immunological properties which resemble those of the gonadotropins but nonidentical with any one of the gonadotropins or their subunits, has been prepared from pars distalis of bovine anterior pituitaries by means of acetic acid extraction, heating, ethanol precipitation, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). During the purification, the biological activity was regularly followed by means of the potency of collected fractions to induce sperm release in frogs. Using HPLC (5 micron C18 silica), the activity was eluted with 38% of acetonitrile:water:trifluoroacetic acid (80:19.5:0.5) and 62% of 0.5% trifluoroacetic acid, pH 3.3. The active principle was also found to bind to a rat ovarian follitropin (FSH) receptor. In contrast, bovine FSH and LH treated identically to the peptide lost all such affinity, indicating that the peptide is not created from either of these during the purification procedure. Further, the peptide was, like FSH, also shown to stimulate aromatase activity in intact Sertoli cells from immature male rats in vitro.

Neurohypophyseal hormones as evolutionary tracers: identification of oxytocin, lysine vasopressin, and arginine vasopressin in two South American opossums (Didelphis marsupialis and Philander opossum)

The neurohypophyseal hormones of two South American opossums (Didelphis marsupialis and Philander opossum) were isolated by molecular sieving and preparative high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). One oxytocin-like and two vasopressin-like peptides were found in each species. These peptides have been identified by their amino acid composition and by their retention time in HPLC. Oxytocin, lysine vasopressin, and arginine vasopressin have been characterized in both species. Lysine vasopressin is roughly as abundant as arginine vasopressin. Comparison is made with Australian marsupials Macropodidae and Phalangeridae, and possible evolutionary mechanisms are discussed.

Phylogenetic cross-reactivities of monoclonal antibodies produced against rat neurophysin

Previously described mouse monoclonal antibodies against rat neurophysins [Ben-Barak, Y., et al. (1985); Whitnall, M. H., et al. (1985)] were studied here for their cross-reactivities to neurophysins (NPs) from other vertebrate species. Posterior pituitary extracts from various mammals (rat, mouse, cow, human) and lower vertebrates (frog, ratfish) were studied. The monoclonal antibodies displayed several distinct patterns of cross-reactivity to the various species, indicating that the epitopes which they recognized were different. PS 67 bound strongly to rat pituitary extract in solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) but showed no cross-reactivity with extracts from any of the other species tested, including the mouse. PS 36 cross-reacted with mouse and frog extracts but showed almost no cross-reactivity with cow and none to ratfish extracts. PS 41 cross-reacted with mouse, cow, and frog extracts. PS 45 was the most cross-reactive antibody and recognized an antigen in extracts from mouse, cow, frog, and ratfish pituitaries. Electrophoresis of proteins extracted from posterior pituitaries, followed by immunoblot staining with either PS 36 or PS 45, demonstrated that the NP-like molecules within each species are heterogeneous, i.e., more than two bands stained in each species. The frog NP stained by PS 45 was about twice the molecular weight of the mammalian NPs. The possible valve of the PS 45 antibody for future molecular cloning experiments on the arginine vasotocin precursor in lower vertebrates is discussed.

Divergent neuropeptide evolutionary drifts between American and Australian marsupials

Present-day marsupials, which are supposed to have arisen from a single stem diverging from the placental stem some 130 million years ago, exist only in the American and Australian continents. Comparison of the homologous genes and their protein products, which evolved under different environmental conditions, may provide arguments for either selective or neutral evolution. In contrast to Australian Macropodidae, which have peculiar neurohypophysial peptides, namely mesotocin and two pressor peptides, lysine vasopressin and phenypressin, the South American oppossum, Didelphis marsupialis, has oxytocin, lysine vasopressin, and arginine vasopressin. Because placental mammals have oxytocin and usually arginine vasopressin, and nonmammalian tetrapods have mesotocin and arginine vasotocin, it is assumed that (1) selective change of arginine vasotocin into arginine vasopressin occurred in mammalian ancestors and a subsequent gene duplication in the marsupial line gave rise to two pressor peptides with divergent neutral drifts in American and Australian groups, and (2) mesotocin of nonmammalian tetrapods has been preserved in Australian marsupials and reclaimed for milk-ejecting function whereas it has been converted into oxytocin in South American oppossums. The change of mesotocin into oxytocin seems neutral rather than selective.

Marsupial neurohypophysial hormones: identification of mesotocin, lysine vasopressin, and phenypressin in the quokka wallaby (Setonix brachyurus)

The neurohypophysial hormones of the quokka wallaby (Setonix brachyurus) have been isolated through preparative high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). One oxytocin-like and two vasopressin-like peptides have been found. These peptides have been characterized by their amino acid composition and by their retention time in HPLC. Mesotocin ([I1e8]-oxytocin) has been identified by amino acid composition, polar partition chromatography, high pressure liquid chromatography with a reversed phase column, and pharmacological properties. Lysine vasopressin and phenypressin ([Phe2]-arginine vasopressin) have been characterized by amino acid composition, ion-exchange chromatography, and high pressure liquid chromatography. Lysine vasopressin is about twice as abundant as phenypressin. These three peptides have previously been found in three species belonging to the genus Macropus, namely the red kangaroo, the Eastern gray kangaroo, and the tammar wallaby; they are therefore current in the family Macropodidae. Comparison with other native Australian mammals is discussed.

Identification of mesotocin, lysine vasopressin, and phenypressin in the eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)

The neurohypophysial hormones of the eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) have been isolated through molecular sieving and paper chromatoelectrophoresis. One oxytocin-like and two vasopressin-like peptides have been found. These peptides have been characterized by amino acid analysis. Mesotocin ([Ile8]-oxytocin), has been identified both by amino acid composition and by behavior in partition chromatography. Lysine vasopressin has been characterized by amino acid composition and by partial amino acid sequence determination. Phenypressin ([Phe2]-arginine vasopressin) has been identified by amino acid composition. Lysine vasopressin is about twice as abundant as phenypressin. These three peptides have previously been identified in two other macropodids, namely, the red kangaroo and the tammar wallaby, and seem to be present in all the family Macropodidae. The evolution of neurohypophysial hormones is discussed in regard to these results.