Levitide, a neurohormone-like peptide from the skin of Xenopus laevis. Peptide and peptide precursor cDNA sequences.
A novel peptide, levitide, less than Glu-Gly-Met-Ile-Gly-Thr-Leu-Thr-Ser-Lys-Arg-Ile-Lys-Gln-NH2 has been isolated from skin secretions of the South African frog Xenopus laevis and sequenced by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Synthetic oligonucleotides were used as probes to screen a X. laevis skin cDNA library for species coding for preprolevitide. Two such clones were detected and their sequences are reported here. Preprolevitide is 88 residues long, exhibits a putative signal sequence at the amino terminus, and contains the levitide peptide at the carboxyl terminus. The levitide precursor shows a striking nucleotide and amino acid (86%) sequence homology with the precursor of xenopsin, a biologically active octapeptide from Xenopus skin, and also encodes a 25-residue amphipathic peptide that is released by processing at a single arginine residue.
Poulter
L
L
University Chemical Laboratories, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Terry
A S
AS
Williams
D H
DH
Giovannini
M G
MG
Moore
C H
CH
Gibson
B W
BW
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001483:Base Sequence; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014357:Trypsin; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000378:metabolism*
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C055061:levitide; D004247:DNA; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; C022633:serine carboxypeptidase; D014357:Trypsin