title: The rat dermorphin-like immunoreactivity is supported by an aminopeptidase resistant peptide.
abstract: Site-directed antibodies against synthetic related dermorphin peptides were previously produced and characterized. One of them, which specifically recognizes the crucial 'opioid message' (the N-terminal part of the dermorphin molecule (i.e. Tyr-D-Ala-Phe-Gly) was selected in order to detect and locate endogenous dermorphin-like molecules in rat, mouse and guinea pig tissues. Dermorphin-like peptides were found to be present in tissues known to contain peptides such as neurons in the central nervous system, nerve fibers in the gut and B and T immune cells. With all the tissues assayed, the HPLC profile obtained on the immunoreactive material showed the same main peak eluted at a retention time of 32 +/- 1 min. The results of biochemical experiments in which enzymatic treatments were performed on the dermorphin-like immunoreactivity indicate the immunoreactivity is a peptide resistant to aminopeptidase hydrolysis. This finding suggests the presence of a residue conferring resistance to proteolytic processes of this kind, which is likely to be a D-amino acid residue.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire CNRS-UPR411, Valbonne, France.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cucumel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bagnol
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moinier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conrath
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cupo
mesh_terms: D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003106:Colon / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D004064:Digestive System / Q000737:chemistry; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D063208:Methionyl Aminopeptidases; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000737:chemistry; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000737:chemistry; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013045:Species Specificity; D013154:Spleen / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D009842:Oligopeptides; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C030058:dermorphin; D010450:Endopeptidases; D000626:Aminopeptidases; D063208:Methionyl Aminopeptidases