tetragastrin and cholecystokinin-(27-33)

The aim of this study was to determine the cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor subtype involved in the direct myogenic effect of CCK on pig ileum. Smooth muscle cells were dispersed from pig ileum circular muscle layer and incubated in the presence of various concentrations of CCK agonists and antagonists. Contraction was assessed by measuring the length of 50 cells and expressed as the percentage decrease in cell length from control. Maximal contraction varied between 19% +/- 3% (gastrin II, 10 nmol/L) and 26% +/- 3% [CCK octapeptide (CCK-8), 10 nmol/L]. EC50 for CCK tetrapeptide (CCK-4) was the same than for pentagastrin (30 pmol/L), which were more potent than CCK-8 (100 pmol/L) and unsulfated gastrin 17 (100 pmol/L), which in turn were more potent than unsulfated CCK heptapeptide (CCK-7; 300 pmol/L) and sulfated gastrin II (300 pmol/L). The maximal contraction induced by synthetic analogs of CCK was 22% +/- 1% for 1 nmol/L JMV 170 and 23% +/- 1% for 10 nmol/L JMV 180. EC50 was 10 pmol/L for JMV 170 and 800 pmol/L for JMV 180. Contraction induced by 10 nmol/L CCK was inhibited as follows: L 365,260 half maximal inhibition (IC50) = 1 nmol/L greater than L 364,718 (IC50 = 90 nmol/L) greater than proglumide (IC50 = 1 mumol/L). Contraction induced by 10 nmol/L unsulfated gastrin 17 was inhibited as follows: L 365,260 (IC50 = 1 pmol/L) greater than L 364,718 (IC50 = 60 nmol/L) greater than proglumide (IC50 = 4 mumol/L). Removal of Ca2+ from the extracellular medium did not alter the contraction induced by CCK-8 (10 nmol/L) but impaired the contraction induced by unsulfated gastrin 17 (10 nmol/L) -56% in Ca(2+)-free medium, -77% in Ca(2+)-free medium plus 2 mmol/L EGTA, and -70% in the presence of 1 mumol/L nifedipine. These results show that the CCK receptor of pig ileum smooth muscle cells is closely similar to the B receptor and is not dependent on an influx of extracellular Ca2+ to induce cell contraction. By contrast, gastrin could act through a specific receptor subtype, the "gastrin receptor," triggering a Ca2+ influx into the cell to induce cell contraction.

Topics: Animals; Calcium; Cholecystokinin; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Gastrins; Ileum; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Muscle Contraction; Pentagastrin; Peptide Fragments; Proglumide; Receptors, Cholecystokinin; Sincalide; Swine; Tetragastrin

Possible biologically active (receptor-bound) conformations of peptides derived from cholecystokinin (CCK) have been deduced using conformational analysis combined with comparative studies of their biological specificities. Two peptides, the completely active carboxyl terminal heptapeptide from CCK (CCK-7), whose sequence is Tyr-Met-Gly-Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2, and the carboxyl terminal heptapeptide from cerulein (CER-7) which has the same sequence as for CCK-7 except for replacement of Met 2 with a Thr 2, both stimulate peripheral receptors in gall bladder, pancreas, and pylorus in the gastrointestinal system. In contrast, two other very similar peptides, the last four residues of CCK (CCK-4) whose sequence is Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2, and the carboxyl terminal hexapeptide of little gastrin (LGA-6, Tyr-Gly-Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2, i.e., residue 2 deleted relative to CCK-7 and CER-7 sequences), interact specifically with gastrin receptors and not at all or very weakly with peripheral receptors. All of these peptides react with CCK receptors in the central nervous system, especially in forebrain. The results in the GI tract suggest that the peptides active on peripheral receptors adopt structures that are significantly different from those of the peptides that interact with gastrin receptors. We have generated all of the many low energy conformations for each of these peptides. By retaining only the conformations that are the same for peptides within the same group and then rejecting those resulting conformations that are the same for the peptides in the two different groups, we can greatly reduce the possible active conformations for the peptides within each class.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Ceruletide; Cholecystokinin; Enkephalin, Methionine; Gastrins; Models, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data; Neuropeptides; Peptide Fragments; Peptides; Protein Conformation; Receptors, Cholecystokinin; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Sincalide; Tetragastrin

Cholecystokinin (CCK)-33 is known to stimulate insulin secretion. Presently, using the perfused rat pancreas, we have characterized the active site in the CCK-33 molecule that is responsible for this effect by the use of different CCK fragments. We found that CCK-33, CCK-8 and CCK-7 (1 nM) all significantly stimulated insulin secretion in the presence of 4.4 mM or 6.7 mM glucose. However, CCK-7 was much less potent than the longer forms. In contrast, CCK-4, CCK-6 and CCK-33 (1-21) had no effect on insulin secretion. We conclude that the shortest CCK-form that stimulates insulin secretion at 1 nM is the C-terminal heptapeptide CCK-7. However, CCK-8 is much more potent than CCK-7 in this respect.

Topics: Animals; Binding Sites; Cholecystokinin; Insulin; Insulin Secretion; Male; Pancreas; Peptide Fragments; Perfusion; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sincalide; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tetragastrin; Time Factors

The biologically active conformations of a series of four peptides [four cholecystokinin (CCK)-related peptides and enkephalin] in their interactions with gastrointestinal receptors have been deduced using conformational computational analysis. The two peptides that interact exclusively with peripheral-type CCK receptors are the heptapeptide COOH-terminal fragment from CCK (CCK-7) and the analogous sequence from cerulein (CER-7) in which threonine replaces the methionine proximal to the NH2 terminus. The two peptides that interact exclusively with the gastrin receptor in the stomach are the active COOH-terminal fragment of little gastrin and the COOH-terminal tetrapeptide sequence common to all of these peptides, CCK-4. We find that preferred conformations for the peripherally active peptides CCK-7 and CER-7 are principally beta-bends, whereas little gastrin and CCK-4 are fundamentally helical. In the class of lowest energy structures for both CCK-7 and CER-7, the aromatic rings of the tyrosine and phenylalanine lie close to one another whereas the tryptophan indole ring points in the opposite direction. This structure is superimposable on the structures of a set of rigid indolyl benzodiazepine derivatives that interact with complete specificity and high affinity with peripheral CCK receptors further suggesting that the computed beta-bends are the biologically active conformation. The biologically active conformation for CCK-4 and the little gastrin hexapeptide has also been deduced. By excluding conformations common to CCK-7 and CCK-4, which do not bond to each other's receptors, and then by selecting conformations in common to CCK-4 and the gastrin-related hexapeptide, which do bind to each other's receptors, we deduce that the biologically active conformation at the gastrin receptor is partly helical and one in which the indole of tryptophan and the aromatic ring of phenylalanine are close to one another while the methionine and aspartic acid side chains point in the opposite direction. These major differences in preferred structures between the common CCK-7/CER-7 peptides and the common CCK-4/little gastrin peptides explain the mutually exclusive activities of these two sets of peptides. We have observed that [Met]enkephalin strongly antagonizes the action of the naturally occurring peripherally active CCK-8 (CCK-7 with an NH2-terminal aspartic acid residue added). The computed lowest energy structures for this opiate peptide closely resemble key feat

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Benzodiazepines; Ceruletide; Enkephalin, Methionine; Gastrins; Indoles; Models, Molecular; Peptide Fragments; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation; Receptors, Cholecystokinin; Receptors, Opioid; Sincalide; Tetragastrin

In the present study we have examined the abilities of cholecystokinin-(26-33)-amide [CCK-(26-33)-NH2, CCK-8], nonsulfated CCK-(26-33)-NH2 (desulfated CCK-8), CCK-(30-33)-NH2 (CCK-4), CCK-(26-33)-OH (deamidated CCK-8), and succinyl CCK-(27-31)-NH2 (Suc-Des-Asp6,Phe7-CCK-7) to stimulate exocrine pancreatic secretion from both isolated pancreatic acini and isolated perfused pancreas. We have also compared this action with their ability to cause insulin release. The modification of either the N- or C-terminal amino acid residues of CCK-8 decreased in potency, but the magnitude of the stimulation of enzyme secretion caused by a maximally effective peptide concentration was the same. The minimal effective concentration of CCK-8, desulfated CCK-8, and CCK-4 for insulin release from the isolated rat pancreas in the presence of 8.3 mM glucose was the same as that for pancreatic exocrine secretion. In contrast, the concentrations of deamidated CCK-8 and Suc-Des-Asp6,Phe7-CCK-7 required to produce insulin release were 5-10 times higher than those required to cause stimulation of pancreatic enzyme and juice secretion. It is concluded therefore that the N-terminal 4-amino acid residues or the C-terminal 2-amino acid residues of CCK-8 are not essential for biological activity but do contribute to its potency. In addition, the C-terminal 2-amino acid residues and an amide group in the C-terminal phenylalanine residue of CCK-8 appear to be important determinants of the insulin-releasing activity of the CCK peptides.

Topics: Amylases; Animals; Cholecystokinin; Insulin; Insulin Secretion; Pancreas; Peptide Fragments; Rats; Sincalide; Tetragastrin

Degradation of CCK-8, CCK-4, and related peptides by a crude synaptosomal fraction of rat brain was investigated by monitoring the tryptophan fluorescence of reaction products after HPLC fractionation. At 20 degrees C, the half disappearance time was 52 min for CCK-8, 35 min for unsulphated CCK-8, 20 min for unsulphated CCK-7, 6 min for Tyr(SO3H)-Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2, and 3 min only for CCK-4. Caerulein was much more resistant than CCK-8, and Boc-CCK-4 and Aoc-CCK-4 remained stable for at least 3 h. The apparent Km for CCK-8 and CCK-4 was 40 microM and maximal activity on CCK-8 was observed at pH 7.0. Zn2+ was strongly inhibitory. The protease inhibitors puromycin and bacitracin, the metal chelator 1,10-phenanthroline, and the sulphydryl blocking agents N-ethylmaleimide and p-chloromercuribenzoate greatly reduced the release of tryptophan from CCK-8. Puromycin inhibition of CCK-8 degradation provoked the accumulation of a CCK-7-like peptide, and that of CCK-4 degradation was of a competitive type (Ki = 2 microM). The CCK-8 degrading activity of brain synaptosomes was present in the cytosol as well as in synaptic membranes.

Topics: Animals; Brain; Cations, Divalent; Cholecystokinin; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Gastrins; Kinetics; Peptide Fragments; Protease Inhibitors; Puromycin; Rats; Sincalide; Synaptosomes; Tetragastrin