title: Isolation and primary structure of an amphibian neurotensin.
abstract: Using a radioimmunoassay system employing an antiserum which recognises the common C-terminal tripeptide (YIL) of neurotensin (NT) and neuromedin N (NN), immunoreactivity was identified in extracts of brain (65.8 pmol/g), small intestine (44.2 pmol/g) and rectum (13.2 pmol/g) of the European common frog (Rana temporaria). No immunoreactivity was detected in extracts of stomach and skin. Reverse-phase HPLC analysis of each tissue extract resolved a single immunoreactive peptide with identical retention time in each case. The immunoreactive peptide was isolated by reverse-phase HPLC from brain extracts and an N-terminal pyroglutamyl residue was successfully removed enzymatically. The molecular mass of des(pyroglutamyl) frog NT, determined by plasma desorption mass spectroscopy, was 1440 Da. The primary structure of this peptide was determined by gas-phase sequencing and the calculated molecular mass, 1440.7 Da, was in close agreement with that derived by mass spectroscopy. The full primary structure of frog NT was established as: QSHISKARRPYIL. When compared with bovine NT, frog NT exhibits five amino acid substitutions in the N-terminal region, whereas the C-terminal hexapeptide sequence (RRPYIL), which mediates the classical biological effects of NT, is completely conserved. Amphibia thus possess a tridecapeptide NT which is analogous to that of higher vertebrates and considerable constraints on the primary structure of the C-terminal biologically-active core have existed for a vast evolutionary time span.
authors.affiliation: Comparative Neuroendocrinology Research Group, School of Biology, Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Halton
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thim
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Buchanan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011896:Rana temporaria
chemical_list: D009496:Neurotensin