title: Studies on the yeast alpha-mating factor: a model for mammalian peptide hormones.
abstract: Small peptides initiate sexual conjugation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and this phenomenon is an ideal paradigm for studying the mode of action of mammalian peptide hormones. 1H-nmr spectroscopy was used to examine the conformation of linear and cyclic analogues of the alpha-factor (WHWLQLKPGQPMY) in aqueous solution. In all cases peptides that exhibit nmr parameters expected for a type II beta-turn have higher biological activities than those that do not appear to assume this conformation. Based on a simple model for the interaction of the pheromone with its receptor, we prepared fragments of the alpha-factor. Several of these fragments either antagonize or potentiate the activity of the alpha-factor. The latter represent the first example of peptide fragments that synergize the activity of the parent pheromone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Staten Island, City University of New York 10301.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Naider
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gounarides
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bargiota
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry*; D006728:Hormones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008322:Mammals; D000072235:Mating Factor; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006728:Hormones; D010455:Peptides; D000072235:Mating Factor