Acidic terminal sequence

The group of peptides known as tachykinins include substance P, substance K or neurokinin A, and neuromedin K, ie, neurokinin B, as well as a number of nonmammalian peptides. All members of this family contain the conserved carboxy-terrninal sequence Phe-X-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2, where X is an aromatic, ie, Phe or Tyr, or branched aliphatic, eg, Val or lie, amino acid. In general, this C-terminal sequence is cmcial for tachykinin activity (33) in fact, both the methionineamide and the C-terminal amide are cmcial for activity. The nature of the X residue in this sequence determines pharmacological identity (34,35) thus the substance P group contains an aromatic residue in this position, while the substance K group contains an aliphatic residue (33). 

Closely related is the reaction of enamines with O-sulfonyl lactams (411-413), which has extended the versatility of Hiinig s carboxylic acid extension sequence to compounds with a terminal amine function. 

The neuropeptides are peptides acting as neurotransmitters. Some form families such as the tachykinin family with substance P, neurokinin A and neurokinin B, which consist of 11 or 12 amino acids and possess the common carboxy-terminal sequence Phe-X-Gly-Leu-Met-CONH2. Substance P is a transmitter of primary afferent nociceptive neurones. The opioid peptide family is characterized by the C-terminal sequence Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-X. Its numerous members are transmitters in many brain neurones. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), with 36 amino acids, is a transmitter (with noradrenaline and ATP) of postganglionic sympathetic neurones. 

A protein, designated cyctochrome c", isolated from the methylotrophic bacterium Methylophilus methylotrophus, has been studied extensively because of its unusual properties and was found to have an average molecular mass of 14293.0 Da and to contain 124 amino acid residues. The A-terminal sequence to residue 62 had been determined and the heme binding site had been located at Cys-49 and Cys-52 [12]. Further studies were concerned with determining the remainder of the sequence. 

Up to now, the pectinolytic enzymes of E. chrysanthemi that have been detected were extracellular secreted enzymes (PelA, B, C, D, E, L, exo-Peh and PemA), periplasmic (exo-Pel), or cytoplasmic (OGL) proteins (1, 5). In contrast, PemB is an outer membrane pectinolytic enzyme. To our knowledge it is the first pectinase characterised as a membrane protein. We presented several lines of evidence showing that PemB is a lipoprotein (i) Its N-terminal sequence has the characteristics of lipoprotein signal sequences, (ii) PemB is synthesised as a high molecular weight precursor processed into a lower molecular weight mature form, (iii) Palmitate, the most prevalent fatty acid in bacterial lipoproteins (12), is incorporated into PemB. 

The authors expressed PKA consisting of 353 amino acids, of which eight are prolines. Resonances of 274 backbone amide peaks were visible in the spectrum, of which 191 were assigned. It was possible to assign resonances for the N- and C-terminal sequences, the majority of the N-lobe, including the glycine-rich loop, and most of the solvent-exposed residues of the C-lobe. This enabled a determination of the structure for the more flexible parts of the structure. However, many correlations were missing for the... 

Fig. 13.5. Hydrophobicity analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence from a metalloprotease component of H-gal-GP (MEP3) showing two potential transmembrane domains (indicated by open arrows). B41 and B47 indicate the relative positions of two N-terminal sequences determined from bands present when H-gal-GP is reduced.

Harmon, C. M. and N. A. Abumrad. Binding of sulfosuccinimidyl fatty acids to adipocyte membrane proteins isolation and amino-terminal sequence of an 88-kD protein implicated in transport of long-chain fatty acids. J. Membr. Bid. 1993, 333, 43-49. 

Application of the analytical techniques discussed thus far focuses upon detection of proteinaceous impurities. A variety of additional tests are undertaken that focus upon the active substance itself. These tests aim to confirm that the presumed active substance observed by electrophoresis, HPLC, etc. is indeed the active substance, and that its primary sequence (and, to a lesser extent, higher orders of structure) conform to licensed product specification. Tests performed to verify the product identity include amino acid analysis, peptide mapping, N-terminal sequencing and spectrophotometric analyses. 

N-terminal sequencing of the first 20-30 amino acid residues of the protein product has become a popular quality control test for finished biopharmaceutical products. The technique is useful, as it ... 

N-terminal sequencing is normally undertaken by Edman degradation (Figure 7.5). Although this technique was developed in the 1950s, advances in analytical methodologies now facilitate fast and automated determination of up to the first 100 amino acids from the N-terminus of most proteins, and usually requires a sample size of less than 1 umol to do so (Figure 7.6). 

Insulin was first identified as an anti-diabetic factor in 1921, and was introduced clinically the following year. Its complete amino acid sequence was determined in 1951. Although mature insulin is a dimeric structure, it is synthesized as a single polypeptide precursor, i.e. preproinsulin. This 108 amino acid polypeptide contains a 23 amino acid signal sequence at its amino terminal end. This guides it through the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, where the signal sequence is removed by a specific peptidase. 

The y and 8 forms of PLC can be distinguished from PLC(3 by the virtual absence of a 400-500 amino acid consensus sequence present in the C-terminal region of PLC(3. Consistent with the absence of putative transmembrane spanning domains, most PLC activity is localized to the cytoplasm, although a significant amount of activity is associated with membrane fractions. 

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