Changes in rat adrenal catecholamines and proenkephalin metabolism after denervation.
Adrenal enkephalin-containing peptides are known to increase 10- to 15-fold in the rat after surgical denervation of the gland. In this report we show that the increase is preceded by a lag of several hours, which is indicative of stimulation of protein synthesis at the transcriptional level. The major species of newly appearing enkephalin-containing peptide appears to be the intact precursor, proenkephalin. Processing of proenkephalin to smaller enkephalin-containing peptides in the denervated glands is slow and limited. The only product that accumulates in the process is a peptide of 3-4 kilodaltons that is derived from the carboxyl terminus of proenkephalin. An interesting observation was the dissociation between the effects of denervation on enkephalin-containing peptides and catecholamines. This is surprising because both are localized in the chromaffin granules of the gland.
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000294:innervation*; D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D002837:Chromaffin Granules / Q000378:metabolism; D003714:Denervation; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
D002395:Catecholamines; D004745:Enkephalins; D011498:Protein Precursors; C029992:proenkephalin