cDNAs encoding [D-Ala2]deltorphin precursors from skin of Phyllomedusa bicolor also contain genetic information for three dermorphin-related opioid peptides.
We present the structure of four precursors for [D-Ala2]deltorphins I and II as deduced from cDNAs cloned from skin of the frog Phyllomedusa bicolor. These contain the genetic information for one copy of [D-Ala2]deltorphin II and zero, one, or three copies of [D-Ala2]deltorphin I. In each case, the D-alanine of the end product is encoded by a normal GCG codon for L-alanine. In addition, the existence of three peptides related to dermorphin was predicted from the amino acid sequence of the precursors. These peptides were synthesized with a D-alanine in position 2 and their pharmacological properties were tested. Two of them, [Lys7]dermorphin-OH and [Trp4,Asn7]dermorphin-OH, were found to have roughly the same affinity and selectivity for mu-type opioid receptors as dermorphin.
Richter
K
K
Institute of Molecular Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Salzburg.
Egger
R
R
Negri
L
L
Corsi
R
R
Severini
C
C
Kreil
G
G
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D001483:Base Sequence; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*
D009842:Oligopeptides; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; C060208:deltorphin I, Ala(2)-; C060209:deltorphin II, Ala(2)-; C030058:dermorphin; D004247:DNA