title: Neuropeptide processing by single-step cleavage: conversion of leumorphin (dynorphin B-29) to dynorphin B.
abstract: Dynorphin B (rimorphin) is formed from dynorphin B-29 (leumorphin) by the action of a thiol protease from rat brain membranes. This represents a "single-arginine cleavage" between threonine-13 and arginine-14 of the substrate. In isotope dilution experiments we find that the radioactivity from radiolabelled dynorphin B-29, which appears in dynorphin B during incubation with the enzyme preparation, is not diminished by addition of a high concentration of dynorphin B-Arg14. Moreover, in pulse-chase experiments, radioactivity that appeared in dynorphin B-Arg14 did not decrease, nor did the radioactivity in dynorphin B increase, after chasing with a high concentration of non-radioactive dynorphin B-29. These results indicate that although some dynorphin B-Arg14 is formed by the impure enzyme preparation, it is not an intermediate in the conversion of dynorphin B-29 to dynorphin B. Thus the formation of dynorphin B does not involve the action of a trypsin-like enzyme followed by removal of arginine-14 by a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme. It appears that a single enzyme converts dynorphin B-29 to dynorphin B in a single step.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Devi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004723:Endorphins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007700:Kinetics; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D004745:Enkephalins; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011498:Protein Precursors; D004399:Dynorphins; C036200:rimorphin; C033660:preproenkephalin; D010450:Endopeptidases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C063078:dynorphin converting enzyme