title: Regional distribution of neuropeptide processing endopeptidases in adult rat brain.
abstract: Many peptide hormone and neuropeptide precursors undergo post-translational processing at mono- and/or dibasic residues. An enzymatic activity capable of processing prodynorphin at a monobasic processing site designated 'dynorphin converting enzyme' has been previously reported in rat rain and bovine pituitary. In this study the distribution of dynorphin converting enzyme activity in ten regions of rat brain has been compared with the distribution of subtilisin-like processing enzymes and with the immuno-reactive dynorphin peptides. The distribution of dynorphin converting enzyme activity generally matches the distribution of immuno-reactive dynorphin B-13 in most but not all brain regions. The regions that are known to have a relatively large number of immuno-reactive dynorphin-neurons also contain high levels of dynorphin converting enzyme activity. The distribution of dynorphin converting enzyme activity does not match the distribution of subtilisin-like processing enzyme or carboxypeptidase E activities. Taken together the data support the possibility that the dynorphin converting enzyme is involved in the maturation of dynorphin, as well as other neuropeptides, and peptide hormones.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016.
authors: Y L
authors: YL
authors: Berman
authors: A K
authors: AK
authors: Rattan
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Carr
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Devi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D043423:Carboxypeptidase H; D002268:Carboxypeptidases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000201:enzymology; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D004399:Dynorphins; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; D043423:Carboxypeptidase H; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C063078:dynorphin converting enzyme