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J Spiess

Publications and source records attributed to J Spiess.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Purification and partial characterization of inhibin from porcine follicular fluid.

Inhibin, a protein of gonadal origin that suppresses the basal secretion of follicle stimulating hormone by anterior pituitary cells has been purified from porcine follicular fluid. Using several RP-HPLC steps and gel filtration under denaturing conditions, we obtained a fraction approximately ten thousand fold purified which showed one band on SDS PAGE and in the same experiment two bands after reduction (MW ca 14K and ca 18K) suggesting a molecular weight of 32K for inhibin. Edman degradation of isolated inhibin and carboxymethylated chain A indicated that the first 6 residues were H-Ser-Thr-Ala-Pro-Leu-Pro-; by subtraction, the first 3 residues of chain B could be deduced to be H-Gly-Leu-Glu-. EC50 was ca 0.3 ng/ml or 10 pM in our in vitro pituitary cell culture assay. Antibodies to residues 1-6 were raised which could immunoneutralize purified inhibin activity in an in vitro assay.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Phosphorylation of high mobility group protein 14 by casein kinase II.

Phosphorylation of chromosomal high mobility group (HMG) protein 14 by casein kinase II has been characterized. Two mol of 32P are incorporated per mol of bovine HMG 14. Kinetic analysis provided evidence for two distinct sites with apparent Km values of 14.5 and 134 microM and respective Vmax values of 0.17 and 0.68 mumol/min/mg casein kinase II. Tryptic peptide mapping identified two phosphorylated products, each with phosphoserine. Amino acid composition and sequence analysis demonstrate that the major high affinity phosphorylation site for casein kinase II is serine 89. This sequence located at the carboxyl-terminal of HMG 14 contains the primary sequence determinants for casein kinase II. On the basis of reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography and amino acid analysis, HMG 14, serine 99 represents the low affinity phosphorylation site.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1985

Post-translational processing of anglerfish islet somatostatin precursors.

Two distinct somatostatin precursors are synthesized in anglerfish (AF) islets. In addition to a precursor which has somatostatin 14 (SS-14) as a C-terminal cleavage product, a precursor which contains at its C-terminus [Tyr7, Gly10] SS-14 as a potential cleavage product is also synthesized. However, even though an Arg-Lys pair is located immediately N-terminal to Ala1 of the C-terminal tetradecapeptide, [Tyr7, Gly10]SS-14 was not found in significant amounts in extracts of AF islets. Instead, a 28 residue peptide having [Tyr7, Gly10]SS-14 (AF SS-28) at its C-terminus was found to be a primary cleavage product of this form of pro-SS. A question which arises from these observations is whether the differential cleavage of pro-SS-14 (PSS-I) and pro-SS-28 (PSS-II) is the result of differences in primary and/or secondary structure of the two precursors which in turn modulate the activity of the same converting enzyme, or whether separate cleavage enzymes exist for each precursor. Experiments were designed to address this question. Microsomes (M) and secretory granules (SG) were isolated from AF pancreatic islets. Fraction purity was monitored by RIA for islet hormones, and by assays for plasma membrane and lysosomal enzymes. The ability of lysed M and SG preparations to mediate conversion of radiolabeled islet prohormones to products was monitored by gel filtration and HPLC analysis of the products. The pH optimum for converting activity in M and SG was found to be near 5.0. Incubations in the presence of selective proteinase inhibitors and prohormones containing Arg and Lys analogs demonstrated that a cysteine proteinase(s) which cleaves at basic amino acid residues is involved in granule-mediated conversion. A significant proportion of the converting activity in granules was found to co-precipitate with SG membranes. Washing these membranes with 1M KC1 resulted in dissociation of most of the converting activity from the membranes suggesting that the proteinase(s) involved is membrane-associated. The processing activities for proinsulin and pro-SS-28 which were observed in SG were also found to be active, and membrane-associated, in M. However, converting activity for pro-SS-14 was found only in SG. Much of the PSS-I to SS-14 processing activity was membrane-associated in SG. By contrast, pro-SS-28 converting activity in SG was entirely soluble. These results suggest that two or more separate enzymes are involved in processing pro-SS-14 and pro-SS-28 and that these enzymes have differential activity in M and SG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Anglerfish pancreatic islets produce two forms of somatostatin-28.

It has been predicted on the basis of cDNA sequence analysis that anglerfish pancreatic islets contain at least two different preprosomatostatins (I and II). The C-terminal amino acid sequences of preprosomatostatin I and II were predicted to be identical to mammalian hypothalamic somatostatin-14 (SS-14) and its analog [Tyr7, Gly10]SS-14, respectively. That SS-14 is expressed in anglerfish pancreatic islets, has been shown earlier in pulse-chase experiments and by chemical characterization. However, it was observed that [Tyr7, Gly10]SS-14 was not expressed as such, but as part of larger polypeptides. Pulse-chase experiments combined with reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography, amino acid analysis with two different chromatographic systems, and complete Edman degradation indicated that preprosomatostatin II is processed in anglerfish islets to two different forms of somatostatin-28 (SS-28). The primary structure of the major form containing hydroxylysine (Hyl) was determined to be: H-Ser-Val-Asp-Ser-Thr-Asn-Asn-Leu-Pro-Pro-Arg- Glu-Arg-Lys-Ala-Gly-Cys-Lys-Asn-Phe-Tyr-Trp-Hyl-Gly-Phe-Thr-Ser-Cys-OH. The amino acid sequence of the minor form differs only at residue 23 by substitution of lysine for hydroxylysine. This is the first time that hydroxylysine, an amino acid which characteristically occurs in collagen or collagen-like structures has been identified in a potential regulatory peptide. It can be speculated that this amino acid is formed by post-translational hydroxylation of a lysine C-terminally linked to a glycine residue and thus modified at a site which has been recognized as hydroxylation site in collagen or collagen-like structures. The biological consequences of this unusual modification are being investigated.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Processing of an anglerfish somatostatin precursor to a hydroxylysine-containing somatostatin 28.

A novel 28-residue somatostatin (SS) has been isolated from anglerfish pancreatic islets and characterized by complete Edman degradation, peptide mapping, and amino acid analysis. The primary structure of this anglerfish SS-28 (aSS-28) containing hydroxylysine (Hyl) was established to be H-Ser-Val-Asp-Ser-Thr-Asn-Asn-Leu-Pro-Pro-Arg-Glu-Arg-Lys-Ala-Gly-Cys- Lys-Asn-Phe-Tyr-Trp-Hyl-Gly-Phe-Thr-Ser-Cys-OH. This sequence (with the exception of hydroxylysine-23, which is replaced by lysine) is identical to the sequence of the COOH-terminal 28 residues of prepro-SS II predicted on the basis of cDNA analysis [Hobart, P., Crawford, R., Shen, L., Pictet, R. & Rutter, W. J. (1980) Nature (London) 288, 137-141]. This is the first instance in which hydroxylysine (to date characteristically observed in collagen or collagen-like structures) has been found in a potential regulatory peptide. Chromatographic characterization of peptides, radiolabeled in islet culture, revealed that aSS-28 contained 10-12% of the radioactivity incorporated into the 8000- to 1000-dalton SS-like polypeptides, whereas 88-90% of this radioactivity was detected in anglerfish SS-14. It appears probable that aSS-28 represents the predominant primary cleavage product derived from prepro-SS II by cleavage at the COOH-terminal side of a single arginine. Based on knowledge of the collagen biosynthesis, it is speculated that hydroxylation may take place as an early post-translational event.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Production of an epidermal growth factor receptor-related protein.

Human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells in culture produce a soluble 105-kilodalton protein which, by the criteria of epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding, recognition by monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to the EGF receptor, amino-terminal sequence analysis and carbohydrate content, is related to the cell surface domain of the EGF receptor. The high rate of production and the finding that with biosynthetic labeling the specific activity of this 105-kilodalton protein exceeds that of the intact receptor indicate that it is not derived from membrane-bound mature receptor but is separately produced by the cell. These cells thus separately synthesize an EGF receptor that is inserted into the membrane and an EGF receptor-related protein that is secreted.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Comparison of prohormone-processing activities in islet microsomes and secretory granules: evidence for distinct converting enzymes for separate islet prosomatostatins.

In previous work we have examined the nature of converting enzymes for proinsulin, proglucagon, and prosomatostatin-I (PSS-I) in secretory granules isolated from anglerfish islets. The purpose of the present study was to extend the examination of precursor conversion to islet microsomes and to compare prohormone processing, including that of PSS-I and prosomatostatin-II (PSS-II), in islet secretory granules and microsomes. Microsomes (rough endoplasmic reticulum [RER] and Golgi complex) and secretory granules were prepared from anglerfish islets by differential and discontinuous density-gradient centrifugation. Microsomes were further fractionated into Golgi- and RER-enriched subfractions. Lysed secretory granule or microsome preparations were incubated in the presence of a mixture of radioactively labeled islet prohormones. Extracts of products generated were subjected to analysis by gel filtration and high-pressure liquid chromatography. Accuracy of product cleavage was monitored by comparing high-pressure liquid chromatography retention times from the radiolabeled in vitro conversion products with the retention times of labeled products from tissue extracts. All converting activity in microsomes was found to be similar to that in granules in that it had a pH optimum near pH 5 and was inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate. No significant differences in the converting activity of Golgi complex- and RER-enriched subfractions of microsomes was observed. The proinsulin, proglucagon, and PSS-II converting-enzymes, which were found in islet secretory granules, were also present and membrane-associated in islet microsomes. However, converting activity for PSS-I was displayed only in secretory granules. This suggests that two or more separate enzymes are involved in processing PSS-I and PSS-II, and that these enzymes have either differential distribution or differential activity in RER/Golgi complex and secretory granules. The demonstration of converting enzyme activity in islet microsomes supports the proposal that these enzymes may be synthesized at the RER and are internalized along with the prohormones.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Sequence analysis of rat hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor with the o-phthalaldehyde strategy.

Sequence analysis was performed on a 41-residue polypeptide that has been identified as the predominant form of high intrinsic corticotropin-releasing activity of rat hypothalamus. The sequence of residues 1-39 of this corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was determined by Edman degradation of a partially purified peptide in a highly sensitive spinning cup sequencer after selective blocking of CRF or its main contaminant with o-phthalaldehyde. This approach was validated by peptide mapping of CRF of a highly purified preparation. Peptide mapping was accomplished with reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography of CRF fragments obtained by digestion with clostripain. The identities of the fragments cleaved from CRF were established by chromatographic comparison with synthetic peptides, amino acid analysis, and Edman degradation. On the basis of these experiments, the primary structure of rat hypothalamic CRF was established to be H-Ser-Glu-Glu-Pro-Pro-Ile-Ser-Leu-Asp-Leu-Thr-Phe-His-Leu- Leu-Arg-Glu-Val-Leu-Glu-Met-Ala-Arg-Ala-Glu-Gln-Leu-Ala-Gln-Gln-Ala-His-Ser-Asn - Arg-Lys-Leu-Met-Glu-Ile-Ile-NH2. It is expected that the o-phthalaldehyde strategy will facilitate the sequence analysis of partially purified peptides containing proline residues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Effects of human pancreatic tumour growth hormone releasing factor on growth hormone and somatomedin C levels in patients with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency.

Human pancreatic tumour growth hormone releasing factor (hpGRF-40) 10 micrograms/kg was administered intravenously to 6 normal young men and 12 adult patients who had presented in childhood with growth hormone (GH) deficiency (7 patients had isolated GH deficiency, 4 had multiple anterior pituitary hormone deficiencies, and 1 had Hand-Schüller-Christian [HSC] disease). hpGRF-40 administration increased serum GH concentrations in all normal subjects and in 3 of 7 patients with isolated GH deficiency and in the 1 with HSC disease; however, the mean serum GH concentration in the patients who responded was less than that of the normal subjects. Somatomedin C concentrations were increased 24 h after a single dose of hpGRF-40 in 8 of 10 patients with GH deficiency. All subjects experienced flushing in response to hpGRF-40. A patient with isolated GH deficiency received 0.33 micrograms/kg hpGRF-40 every 3 h for 5 days. Despite the modest increase in GH in response to a subsequent dose of 10 micrograms/kg hpGRF-40, serum somatomedin C levels increased within 12 h from 0.06 to 0.1 U/ml and peaked at 0.36 U/ml at 72 h; in addition the patient with HSC disease, treated with hpGRF-40 daily for 5 days, demonstrated an increase in somatomedin C from 0.4 to 0.58 U/ml. The increase after hpGRF-40 in serum GH levels in this patient and the similar or greater responses in 3 of 7 patients suggest that at least some of these patients may have hypothalamic GH-releasing-hormone deficiency. hpGRF-40 may be useful in distinguishing pituitary disease from hypothalamic disease. After hpGRF-40 administration serum somatomedin C levels may increase without a change in serum immunoreactive GH concentrations. Further studies are needed to determine whether hpGRF-40 is useful in promoting linear growth in children with GH deficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Human pancreatic growth-hormone-releasing factor selectively stimulates growth-hormone secretion in man.

A growth-hormone-releasing factor has been characterised and sequenced from a pancreatic tumour removed from a patient with acromegaly. It is a 40-residue linear peptide. Synthetic human pancreatic growth-hormone-releasing factor (hpGRF-40), 1 microgram/kg bodyweight, was administered as an intravenous bolus to six healthy men. hpGRF-40 selectively stimulated growth-hormone secretion. Serum growth-hormone concentrations were increased within 5 min, reaching a peak between 30 and 60 min (20 . 4 +/- 6 . 5 ng/ml compared with 2 . 1 +/- 0 . 1 ng/ml after placebo). Serum levels of prolactin, thyrotropin, luteinising hormone, and corticotropin (measured indirectly through plasma cortisol) were not increased after administration of hpGRF-40. Similarly, the concentrations of blood glucose, plasma insulin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide, cholecystokinin, gastrin, gastric inhibitory peptide, motilin, and somatostatin were unaffected by hpGRF-40. There were no changes in blood pressure, pulse rate, or body temperature, and no side-effects were noted. The characteristics of this peptide fulfil many of the criteria required of the hypophysiotropic growth-hormone-releasing hormone. hpGRF holds promise for a new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of various disorders of growth-hormone secretion.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1983

Characterization of rat hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor.

A polypeptide was purified from rat hypothalamic extracts on the basis of its high intrinsic activity to release corticotropin (ACTH) from cultured rat anterior pituitary cells and its immunoactivity in a radioimmunoassay directed against the NH2 terminus (residues 4-20) of ovine hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Based on Edman degradation, peptide mapping, and amino acid analysis, the primary structure of this rat CRF was established to be: H-Ser-Glu-Glu-Pro-Pro-Ile-Ser-Leu-Asp-Leu-Thr-Phe-His-Leu-Leu-Arg-Glu-Val-Leu-Glu-Met-Ala-Arg-Ala-Glu-Gln-Leu-Ala-Gln-Gln-Ala-His-Ser-Asn-Arg-Lys-Leu-Met-Glu-Ile-Ile-NH2. The hypophysiotropic potency of synthetic rat CRF did not deviate significantly from the potencies of the isolated native peptide or of synthetic ovine CRF. The close structural relationship between rat and ovine hypothalamic CRF is indicated by an 83% sequence homology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Characterization of a teleost gonadotropin-releasing hormone.

A peptide that is recognized by certain antibodies raised against mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone has been purified from extracts of salmon brains by gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography. The primary structure of this 10-residue peptide is less than Glu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Trp-Leu-Pro-Gly-NH2. This represents a difference of two amino acids between salmon and mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone and demonstrates that most of the molecule has been conserved during evolution. The synthetic form of salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone is less potent than is mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone on mammalian cells and is biologically active in salmon.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Effect of synthetic ovine corticotropin-releasing factor. Dose response of plasma adrenocorticotropin and cortisol.

Synthetic ovine corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was administered to normal male volunteer subjects as an intravenous bolus or 30-s infusion. Doses of CRF ranging from 0.001 to 30 micrograms/kg body wt were administered, and plasma immunoreactive (IR)-ACTH and IR-cortisol concentrations were measured. The threshold dose appeared to be 0.01-0.03 micrograms/kg, the half-maximal dose 0.3-1 micrograms/kg, and the maximally effective dose 3-10 micrograms/kg. Basal concentrations of IR-ACTH and IR-cortisol were 14 +/- 7.6 pg/ml (mean +/- SD) and 5.6 +/- 2.2 micrograms/dl, respectively. IR-ACTH rose as early as 2 min after CRF injection, reached peak levels in 10-15 min, and declined slowly thereafter. IR-cortisol rose at 10 min or later and reached peak levels in 30-60 min. At a dose of 30 micrograms/kg, neither IR-ACTH nor IR-cortisol fell from peak levels of 82 +/- 21 pg/ml (mean +/- SE) and 23 +/- 1.4 micrograms/dl, respectively, during the 2-h course of the experiment, indicating that CRF has a sustained effect on ACTH release and/or a prolonged circulating plasma half-life. There was little or no increase in the levels of other anterior pituitary hormones. At doses of 1 microgram/kg and higher, facial flushing, tachycardia, and, in some subjects, a 15-29-mmHg decline in systemic arterial blood pressure were observed, even though blood volume was replaced and the subjects remained supine. These data indicate that synthetic ovine CRF is a very potent and specific ACTH secretagogue in man. Administered with caution until its vasomotor effects are more fully defined, CRF promises to be a safe and very useful investigative, diagnostic, and, possibly, therapeutic agent in man.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1982

Sequence analysis of a growth hormone releasing factor from a human pancreatic islet tumor.

A growth hormone releasing factor of a human pancreatic islet tumor (hpGRF) of an acromegalic patient was purified and subjected to Edman degradation in a spinning cup sequencer. Approximately 0.7-1.2 nmol of peptide was applied to the cup without any pretreatment, after coupling to 3-sulfophenyl isothiocyanate or after cleavage with cyanogen bromide, staphylococcal protease, or trypsin. On the basis of the analytical data, the N-terminal sequence of 39 residues is established to be H-Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn- Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys- Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-Ser- Asn-Gln-Glu-Arg-Gly-. It is proposed that alanine is residue 40 and represents (as free acid) the C terminus of hpGRF. Synthetic hpGRF(1-40)-OH is highly potent in stimulating GH secretion from the rat anterior pituitary in vitro and in vivo. The C-terminal sequence of hpGRF does not appear to contribute significantly to the biologic intrinsic activity and potency of hpGRF, as demonstrated by the fact that the natural product and the synthetic peptides hpGRF(1-40)-OH, hpGRF(1-40)-NH2, and hpGRF(1-29)-NH2 show equivalent in vitro activities. On the basis of sequence homologies, hpGRF is closely related to members of the glucagon secretin family, especially to the porcine gut peptide PHI.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗