Direct identification of a second distinct site of contact between cholecystokinin and its receptor

We have developed a biologically active analogue of cholecystokinin (CCK) that incorporates a photolabile benzoylphenylalanine (Bpa) moiety in the middle of its pharmacophoric domain, which efficiently establishes a covalent bond with an interacting domain of the CCK receptor. This probe incorporated L-Bpa in the position of Gly29 of the well characterized, radioiodinatable CCK analogue, D-Tyr-Gly-[(Nle28,31)CCK-26-33]. It was a potent pancreatic secretagogue (EC50 = 28 +/- 6 nM) that was equally efficacious with natural CCK, and bound to the CCK receptor with moderate affinity (IC50 = 450 +/- 126 nM). This was adequate to allow specific covalent labeling of the receptor. The labeled domain was within the cyanogen bromide fragment of the receptor including the top of TM6 (the sixth transmembrane domain), the third extracellular loop, and TM7 (the seventh transmembrane domain), as proven by direct Edman degradation sequencing. When this fragment was modified by the replacement of Val342 with Met to generate an additional site of cyanogen bromide cleavage, the labeled fragment was reduced in apparent size consistent with its representing the carboxyl-terminal portion of this fragment. Radiochemical sequencing of that fragment demonstrated covalent attachment of the probe to His347 and Leu348 in this domain. This represents the second experimentally demonstrated contact between a CCK analogue and this receptor, complementing the labeling of the domain just above TM1 (the first transmembrane domain) by a photolabile residue at the carboxyl terminus of CCK (Ji, Z. S., Hadac, E. M., Henne, R. M., Patel, S. A., Lybrand, T. P., and Miller, L. J. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 24393-24401). Both contacts are consistent with the conformational model of CCK binding proposed on the basis of the initial contact.

Effects of cholecystokinin (CCK)-JMV-180 on the CCK receptors of rabbit pancreatic acini and gallbladder smooth muscle

Effects of cholecystokinin (CCK)-JMV-180, a CCK analog, on the CCK receptor functions of isolated rabbit pancreatic acini and gallbladder smooth muscle were studied. When the pancreatic acini were incubated with increasing concentrations of CCK-8, stimulation of amylase release reached a maximum at 3 nM and then declined with the increasing concentration of CCK-8. CCK-JMV-180 also caused a dose-dependent amylase release stimulation, which plateaued and remained unchanged above 300 nM at about 50% of the maximal stimulation by CCK-8. CCK-JMV-180 above 100 nM caused a rightward shift of the downstroke of the dose-response curve for CCK-8 (pA2 = 7.5). In the gallbladder smooth muscle, CCK-8 caused a dose-dependent contraction, but CCK-JMV-180 totally lacked this property. Instead, CCK-JMV-180 caused a rightward shift of the dose-response curve for CCK-8 (pA2 = 7.9). These results suggest that CCK-JMV-180 distinguishes between the CCKA receptors associated with pancreatic exocrine secretion in the acini and those involved in contraction of the isolated gallbladder smooth muscle in rabbits.

Binding of cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) peptide derivatives to CCKA and CCKB receptors

The structural requirements for the selective binding of cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8)-related peptides to peripheral (CCKA) receptors are not sufficiently understood. In this study, the interaction of a series of newly shortened analogues of CCK-8 with both receptor subtypes was analyzed by displacement studies using [3H]-CCK-8 and 125I-Bolton-Hunter (BH)-CCK-8 as radioligands. The pentapeptide derivative of CCK-8, succinyl-Tyr (SO3H)-Met-Gly-Trp-Met-phenethylamide, was found to bind selectively with high affinity to the CCKA receptor. The replacement of Met28 and/or Met31 by norleucine and of L-Trp30 by its D-analogue had no significant effect on the binding properties of the peptide. Further C-terminal shortening resulted in a drastic loss of affinity and selectivity of the CCK receptor binding.

Cholecystokinin receptor family. Molecular cloning, structure, and functional expression in rat, guinea pig, and human

A review of the literature encompassing numerous pharmacological, physiological, and biochemical studies indicates the presence of at least four CCK receptor types, CCKA, CCKB, gastrin, and CG-4 receptors. Multiple subtypes of the CCKAR have been postulated to account for the differences in pharmacology or affinity cross-linking of CCKARs between pancreas and gallbladder and the presence of high and low affinity CCKARs on pancreatic acini. Multiple subtypes of the CCKBR have been postulated to explain the differences in pharmacology and physiology between gastric and gallbladder smooth muscle CCKBRs. We recently cloned and functionally expressed both the CCKAR and the CCKBR from rat, guinea pig, and human. The CCKAR and CCKBR are 48% homologous and constitute a family of receptors within the guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein-coupled superfamily of receptors. Each receptor is highly conserved between species. A single cDNA encoding a single protein is present in both pancreas and gallbladder and can account for both high and low affinity CCKARs found on pancreatic acini when transfected into COS-7 cells. A single cDNA encoding a single CCKBR protein is present in both the central nervous system and the periphery including the gastrointestinal system. Therefore, the gastrin receptor is actually a CCKBR present on parietal cells. Genomic and cDNA library hybridization as well as Northern and Southern hybridization studies among rat, guinea pig, and human species identifies only two members of the CCK receptor family, CCKAR and CCKBR. Although these studies do not identify other closely related members of the CCK receptor family, they do not rule out the existence of other less closely related members. Furthermore, differences in tissue and species-specific posttranslational processing, receptor coupling, and associated membrane protein and lipid heterogeneity may be among some of the other factors that may account for the phenotypic expression of more receptor subtypes than molecular studies would predict.

N alpha-carboxyacyl analogues of CCK with a substituted Gly: interaction with pancreatic and gallbladder CCK receptors

It has been reported that certain N alpha-carboxyacyl analogues of CCK-8 and of CCK-7 with a substituted Gly in position 3 or 4 of the peptide possess higher potencies at stimulating pancreatic enzyme secretion than at stimulating gallbladder contraction, suggesting that these analogues are able to differentiate subtypes of CCKA receptors. However, no studies examined directly the interaction of these peptides with the CCK receptors in both tissues. In the present study, CCK-8 and various N alpha-carboxyacyl analogues of CCK-7 and of CCK-8 were prepared by solid phase synthesis using Fmoc chemistry and were purified by HPLC; molecular weight and sufficient sulfation were determined by mass spectrometry. [125I]Bolton-Hunter(BH)-CCK-8 binding to sections of the guinea pig pancreas and gallbladder was determined under identical conditions; amylase release from pancreatic acini and contraction of gallbladder muscle strips were measured in vitro. Each peptide stimulated amylase release (EC50): CCK-8 (0.09 nM) > Suc[Sar3]CCK-7 (0.23 nM) > des(SO3)CCK-8 (28 nM) > Suc[D-Trp4]CCK-8 (32 nM) > Suc[D-Trp3]CCK-7 (53 nM) > Pht[D-Trp3]CCK-7 (180 nM) > Glt[D-Trp3]CCK-7 (220 nM). The same relative potencies were found for stimulation of gallbladder contraction, and for the inhibition of [125I]BH-CCK-8 binding to pancreas and gallbladder sections. These data demonstrate that the CCKA receptors in the pancreas and on gallbladder smooth muscle possess similar affinities for the various N alpha-carboxyacyl analogues of CCK-7 and CCK-8 with a substituted Gly and provide further evidence that the CCKA receptors in gallbladder and pancreas cannot be distinguished pharmacologically.

Gallbladder CCK receptors: species differences in glycosylation of similar protein cores

Receptors for cholecystokinin (CCK) on gallbladder muscularis smooth muscle have different apparent sizes in man (Mr = 85,000-95,000) and cow (Mr = 70,000-85,000). In this work, these receptors were demonstrated to represent N-linked complex glycoproteins with Mr = 43,000 protein cores, based on lectin-affinity chromatography and the deglycosylation of bands affinity labeled with 125I-D-Tyr-Gly-[(Nle28,31, pNO2-Phe33)CCK-26-33] using neuraminidase, O-glycanase and endoglycosidases H and F. Similarities in the core proteins were further demonstrated by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease peptide mapping, in which both proteins yielded similar fragment patterns. Thus, gallbladder CCK receptors present in man and cow are both N-linked complex glycoproteins, with different carbohydrate domains and similar protein cores.

Effects of growth hormone releasing factor on pancreatic secretion in vivo and in vitro

Growth hormone releasing factor (GRF), a 44-residue peptide originally isolated from human pancreatic tumors, shows structural similarities to the members of the secretin-vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) peptides. This study was designed to determine the effects of human GRF (hGRF-(1-44] on pancreatic secretion in vivo in conscious dogs and in vitro in dispersed rat pancreatic acini. GRF given i.v. in graded doses in dogs caused a small but significant stimulation of pancreatic HCO3- and protein outputs and potentiated secretin- and cholecystokinin (CCK)-induced pancreatic HCO3- but not protein secretion. When given together with somatostatin, GRF failed to reverse the inhibitory action of this peptide on HCO3- and protein responses to secretin plus CCK in dogs. Studies in vitro dispersed rat pancreatic acini showed that GRF added to the incubation medium of these acini caused an increase in basal amylase release and shifted to the left the amylase dose-response curve to caerulein and urecholine but failed to affect the amylase response to VIP. This study indicates that GRF in vivo stimulates basal and augments secretin- or CCK-induced pancreatic HCO3- secretion and that this is probably due to direct stimulatory action of the peptide on pancreatic secretory cells.

Comparison of helodermin, VIP and PHI in pancreatic secretion and blood flow in dogs

Helodermin, VIP and PHI, which share a high degree of homology with secretin, have been identified in the gut but their physiological role is unknown. In this study 3 series of tests were carried out to determine the actions of helodermin, VIP and PHI on pancreatic secretion in 6 conscious dogs and amylase release from the dispersed canine pancreatic acini and to correlate the alterations in pancreatic secretory and circulatory effects in 24 anesthetized dogs. Helodermin, VIP and PHI infused i.v. in graded doses (12.5-200 pmol/kg.h) resulted in a dose-dependent increase in pancreatic HCO3 secretion reaching, respectively, 100%, 7% and 2% of secretin maximum. When combined with constant dose infusion of CCK-8 (100 pmol/kg.h), helodermin but not VIP or PHI augmented dose-dependently the HCO3 secretion. When added in various concentrations (10(-10)-10(-5)M) to the incubation medium of dispersed pancreatic acini only helodermin but not VIP or PHI increased dose-dependently amylase release reaching about 50% of CCK-8 maximum. In anesthetized dogs, the pancreatic blood flow (PBF) measured by electromagnetic blood flowmetry showed an immediate and dose-dependent increase following the injections of various doses of helodermin, VIP, PHI and secretin, the peak blood flow preceding by about 1 min the peak secretory stimulation. This study shows that helodermin resembles secretin in its potent pancreatic HCO3 stimulation but differs from VIP or PHI which are poor secretagogues but potent vasodilators. We conclude that if tested peptides are released in the gut, helodermin, like secretin, may be involved in the hormonal stimulation of exocrine pancreas, whereas VIP and PHI may serve mainly as vasodilators in the pancreatic circulation.

Subtypes of muscarinic receptors in canine pancreatic secretion in vivo and in vitro

In conscious dogs with esophageal, gastric and pancreatic fistulae, sham-feeding and meat feeding increased the pancreatic protein secretion to a peak, reaching about 39% and 69% of CCK8 maximum, and raised plasma pancreatic polypeptide (PP) levels. Pirenzepine given intravenously (i.v.) (30 nmol.kg-1 or 3 mumol.kg-1) reduced dose-dependently the pancreatic protein and plasma PP responses to sham-feeding and meat feeding, being about 100 times less potent as an inhibitor than atropine. Neither pirenzepine nor atropine affected near-maximal pancreatic bicarbonate and protein responses to secretin (164 pmol.kg-1.h-1) and CCK8 (170 pmol.kg-1.h-1), but both antimuscarinic agents significantly inhibited pancreatic responses to lower doses of these secretagogues. When added to the incubation medium of dispersed canine pancreatic acini, pirenzepine reduced dose-dependently the amylase responses only to urecholine, and not to CCK or gastrin, being about 1000 times less potent as an inhibitor than atropine. This report provides an evidence that pirenzepine inhibits pancreatic secretion in a similar manner to atropine, but that pirenzepine, in both in vivo and in vitro studies, is 2-3 orders of magnitude less potent as an inhibitor than atropine, indicating that the muscarinic pathway of the exocrine pancreas has a low affinity for pirenzepine and may thus involve M2-receptors.

Full and partial relaxing CCK-C-terminal fragments in hog duodenal circular muscle

The essential active moieties in the cholecystokinin (CCK) ligand for relaxing duodenal circular muscles of pigs were investigated. The decrease in isotonic tension from the normal tone was expressed as a percentage of the relaxation obtained with Ca2+-free EGTA (2 mM) solution. Inhibition was expressed as a percentage of the relaxation induced by CCK-C-terminal tetrapeptide (CCK-4, 4.23 microM) without antagonists. Amino acid sequences from CCK-(27-28) to CCK-(27-31) increased the potency. CCK-(27-30) or CCK-(27-31) attained the same extent of relative intrinsic activity as CCK-8. The amino acid sequence from Tyr27, CCK-(27), to Trp30, CCK-(30), is another prerequisite for relaxation, in addition to the sequence of CCK-4. Newly synthesized CCK-(27-30)-R derivatives with increasingly bulky substituents (R = H, ethyl, phenyl, n-butyl and allyl) were changed from full agonists to partial agonists. Phenyl, n-butyl and allyl derivatives of CCK-(27-30)-R, in particular, had a mixed agonist and antagonist action. CCK-(27-30)-allyl antagonized competitively the CCK-4-induced relaxation (IC50 = 123 (75.9-200) microM).

Isolation and chemical characterization of glicentin C-terminal hexapeptide in porcine pancreas

Using a radioimmunoassay specific for porcine glicentin C-terminal hexapeptide, we isolated a peptide from porcine pancreas and characterized it as the C-terminal 64-69 sequence of glicentin: H-Asn-Lys-Asn-Asn-Ile-Ala-OH. The purification steps included gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography and HPLC. In each step, the recovery of the desired peptide, radioimmunologically estimated from the respective elution profile, was 71.4-91.7%. The final yield of the hexapeptide was 22 micrograms (4.3%) from 800 g pancreas. The pancreatic content of this peptide was estimated to be approximately equimolar to that of pancreatic glucagon. No hexapeptide-like component was detected in porcine intestinal extracts. The data confirmed that the processing of pancreatic proglucagon liberates the C-terminal hexapeptide of the intramolecular glicentin sequence in a tissue-specific manner during the production of glucagon.