title: N-terminal tetrapeptide of dermorphin and D-Arg-substituted tetrapeptides: inactivation process of the antinociceptive activity by peptidase.
abstract: Degradation products of the N-terminal tetrapeptide of dermorphin, H-Tyr-D-Ala-Phe-Gly-OH (ALPG) and D-Arg2-substituted tetrapeptide analogs of dermorphin, H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-Gly-OH (ARPG), H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-Gly-NH2 (TDAPG-NH2) and H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-beta-Ala-OH (TDAPA) by enkephalin degrading enzymes were studied by using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. After 5 and 25 hr incubations of the peptides with solubilized enzymes of mouse brain or spinal cord, liberation of the appreciable Tyr1 residue was observed in ALPG but not in ARPG, TDAPG-NH2 and TDAPA. When ARPG and TDAPG-NH2 were incubated with enzymes for 25 hr, a main degradation product was the N-terminal tripeptide produced from the hydrolysis of Phe3-Gly4 bond. Conversely, TDAPA did not produce the N-terminal tripeptide after 25 hr incubation with enzymes. In the enzyme assay, Tyr1-D-Arg2 bond of ARPG, TDAPG-NH2 and TDAPA was more stable than that of ALPG to the cleavage by aminopeptidase M (AP-M). Phe3-Gly4 bond of ALPG, ARPG and TDAPG-NH2 were easily hydrolyzed by carboxypeptidase Y (CP-Y) within 3 hr incubation, whereas the hydrolysis of Phe3-beta-Ala4 bond of TDAPA by CP-Y was not observed after 3 hr incubation. The present results and previous behavioural data suggest that a potent and prolonged antinociceptive activity of the D-Arg-substituted tetrapeptides is mainly attributed to the stability of Tyr1-D-Arg2 bond against aminopeptidase of peptidases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Tohoku College of Pharmacy, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakurada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kisara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D000700:Analgesics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D018826:CD13 Antigens; D002268:Carboxypeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000201:enzymology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D009842:Oligopeptides; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C030058:dermorphin; D001120:Arginine; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; D000626:Aminopeptidases; D018826:CD13 Antigens; C022633:serine carboxypeptidase