Endopeptidase-24.15 in rat hypothalamic/pituitary/gonadal axis.
Endopeptidase-24.15 (E.C. 3.4.24.15; EP-24.15) cleaves several substrates found in the hypothalamic/pituitary/gonadal axis, including gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and the opioid peptides of the dynorphin family. We have examined the activity of EP-24.15 in these tissues as a function of maturation, of the estrous cycle, and in response to ovariectomy and estrogen replacement. A developmental regulation of EP-24.15-specific activity is apparent in anterior pituitary, in hypothalamus, and in the gonads. EP-24.15 is increased in the preoptic area and is decreased in the anterior pituitary in both male and female rats prior to puberty. The specific activity of EP-24.15 was increased following ovariectomy in the anterior pituitary and within medial and lateral preoptic nuclei. Testicular specific activity of EP-24.15 increased with age in a linear fashion, while ovarian EP-24.15 activity increased immediately prior to puberty, but returned to prepubertal levels by 65 days of age. The relevance of EP-24.15 to the metabolism of specific peptides is discussed.
Pierotti
A R
AR
Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Research Center for Neurobiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, CUNY, NY 10029.
Lasdun
A
A
Ayala
J M
JM
Roberts
J L
JL
Molineaux
C J
CJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010053:Ovary / Q000201:enzymology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D011374:Progesterone / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology*
D004967:Estrogens; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011374:Progesterone; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C022510:thimet oligopeptidase