The presence of brain natriuretic peptide of 12,000 daltons in porcine heart.
Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and its N-terminally six amino acid extended form (BNP-32) have been identified in porcine brain. These peptides exert diuretic-natriuretic and hypotensive effects, and have remarkably high sequence homology to atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). We have set up a radioimmunoassay system specific to BNP and surveyed immunoreactive (ir-) BNP in peripheral tissue. In porcine cardiac atrium, we found the highest concentration of ir-BNP. By using gel filtration and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, ir-BNP was characterized. Most of ir-BNP in the atrium was found to exist as a high molecular weight form of 12,000 daltons; less than 15% of the total ir-BNP exist as low molecular weight forms such as BNP and BNP-32. These results suggest that BNP functions as a circulating hormone in addition to the neuropeptide function in brain.
Department of Biochemistry, Miyazaki Medical College, Japan.
N
N
Minamino
M
M
Aburaya
S
S
Ueda
K
K
Kangawa
H
H
Matsuo
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000032:analysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009206:Myocardium / Q000032:analysis*; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013552:Swine
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain