1. [Overview in 45 years of studies on peptide chemistry]
Yoshio Okada Yakugaku Zasshi. 2009 Oct;129(10):1141-54. doi: 10.1248/yakushi.129.1141.
This review documents my research for the past 45 years in peptide chemistry. Initially, in order to study the structure-activity relationships of active center of alpha- and beta-melanocyte stimulating hormones (H-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-OH), we employed D-amino acids. That approach yielded first published report in 1965 of antagonists containing D-amino acids. Monkey beta-melanocyte stimulating hormone (beta-MSH), an 18 amino acid peptide stimulated pigment cells. We synthesized beta-MSH and fragments thereof, and studied in detail structure-activity relationships. A major and valuable result revealed that the C-terminal pentadecapeptide of beta-MSH exhibited higher MSH activity than the parent hormone providing a new question; namely, what was the role of the N-terminal tripeptide? In order to identify the novel enzyme, spleen fibrinolytic proteinase (SFP), I developed a specific chromogenic substrate, Suc-Ala-Tyr-Leu-Val-pNA, and a specific inhibitor, Suc-Tyr-D-Leu-D-Val-pNA, once again employing my D-amino acid strategy. SFP was purified by affinity chromatography using Suc-Tyr-D-Leu-D-Val-pNA as the bound ligand. The success of this approach provided me the incentive to develop a variety of potential drugs. Thus, I prepared a specific plasmin inhibitor (YO-2) and a plasma kallikrein inhibitor (PKSI-527). Next, my research developed novel opioid receptor specific opioid agonists and antagonists based on 2',6'-dimethyl-L-tyrosine (Dmt) dimers coupled with unique pyrazinone ring as a spacer. They exhibited potent oral antinociceptive activity acting through the mu-opioid receptor. Potent mu-receptor agonists (H-Dmt-Pro-Phe/Trp- Phe-NH(2)) were transformed into highly selective mu-receptor antagonists (N-allyl-Dmt-Pro-Phe/Trp-Phe-NH(2)), which reversed ethanol-induced increases in GABAergic neurotransmission, suggesting the possibility that they may emerge as candidates for the treatment of ethanol addiction.
2. Renin cleavage of a human kidney renin substrate analogous to human angiotensinogen, H-Asp-Arg-Val-Tyr-Ile-His-Pro-Phe-His-Leu-Val-Ile-His-Ser-OH, that is human renin specific and is resistant to cathepsin D
M Poe, J K Wu, T Y Lin, K Hoogsteen, H G Bull, E E Slater Anal Biochem. 1984 Aug 1;140(2):459-67. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(84)90194-5.
A synthetic tetradecapeptide, H-Asp-Arg-Val-Tyr-Ile-His-Pro-Phe-His-Leu-Val-Ile-His-Ser-OH, which corresponds to the 13 amino terminal residues of human angiotensinogen plus a carboxy terminal serine to replace a suggested site of carbohydrate attachment, has been shown to be a good substrate for human kidney renin. At pH 7.2 and 37 degrees C the KM or Michaelis constant was 8.4 +/- 2.9 microM, and the VM or velocity at infinite tetradecapeptide concentration was 11.3 +/- 2.4 mumol angiotensin I made per hour per milligram renin. The tetradecapeptide was highly resistant to cleavage by mouse submaxillary renin. The tetradecapeptide was also slowly cleaved by human liver cathepsin D, by rabbit lung angiotensin-converting enzyme, and by reconstituted human serum, but did not yield angiotensin I. Thus, this synthetic renin substrate should permit more specific measurement of human kidney renin activity.
3. Cytoplasmic and nuclear signaling pathways of V1-vascular vasopressin receptors
M Thibonnier, A L Bayer, Z Leng Regul Pept. 1993 Apr 29;45(1-2):79-84. doi: 10.1016/0167-0115(93)90186-c.
We studied the cytoplasmic and nuclear signaling pathways of V1-vascular AVP receptors of human platelets, primary cultures of renal glomerular mesangial cells, and established cultures of the A7r5 aortic smooth muscle cell line. The immediate transmembrane signals are triggered by the formation of ligand-receptor complexes as illustrated by binding experiments with [3H]AVP (Kd = 2.50 nM), d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (Kd = 0.62 nM), the linear V1 antagonist phenylacetyl-D-Tyr(Et)-Phe-Val-Asn-Lys-Pro-[125I]Tyr-NH2 (Kd = 1.42 nM) or by fluorescence experiments with linear antagonists like phenylacetyl-D-Tyr(Et)-Phe-Gln-Asn-Lys-Pro-Arg-NH2 coupled to biotin and made fluorescent by labeling with tetramethylrhodamine-avidin. We used several approaches (radioreceptor binding, radioactive labeling, autoradiographic, enzymatic, photoaffinity labeling, and immunoblotting procedures) to identify the guanine nucleotide regulatory protein coupled to V1-vascular vasopressin receptors. AVP-stimulated GTPase activity of human platelet membranes was blocked by pretreatment with antibodies specific for the C-terminal of the newly described Gq alpha protein. In the presence of MgCl2, AVP increased labeling by the photoreactive GTP analog [alpha-32P]azidoanilido GTP of a platelet membrane protein of apparent molecular mass of 42 kDa. AVP effect was reversed by the specific V1-vascular antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP and labeling was completely abolished by GTP gamma s.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
