Biomedical subjects

W L Cody

Publications and source records attributed to W L Cody.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1985

Cyclic melanotropins. 9. 7-D-Phenylalanine analogues of the active-site sequence.

The cyclic melanotropin Ac-Ser1-Tyr2-Ser3-Cys4-Glu5-His6-Phe7-Arg8 -Trp9-Cys10-Lys11-Pro12-Val13-NH is a highly potent agonist as determined in several melanocyte bioassays. In linear melanotropins, a D-Phe7 substitution leads to increased potency and often prolonged biological activity. In order to determine if this substitution would have the same effect in cyclic melanotropins, we have prepared a series of these analogues. The D-Phe7-substituted cyclic melanotropins Ac-[Cys4,D-Phe7,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-10-NH2 and Ac-[Cys4,D-Phe7,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-11-NH2 were both more potent than their cyclic L-Phe7-containing counterparts in either the frog or lizard skin bioassay by more than a factor of 10. Neither peptide, however, exhibited prolongation of biological activity in either assay. Substitution of D-Phe7 into the cyclic 4-12 and 4-13 sequences led to a slight or no increase in potency in both assays relative to the L-Phe7 counterparts, but the activity of the melanotropins was ultraprolonged in each assay. Ac-[Cys4,D-Phe7,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-12-NH2 was about equipotent to Ac-[Cys4,D-Phe7,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-13-NH2, again demonstrating, as with certain linear and cyclic L-Phe7-containing melanotropins, that the C-terminal amino acid valine is not required for biological activity or for superpotency. Similar to the linear D-Phe7 analogues that possessed ultraprolonged melanotropic activity, the 4-12 and 4-13 cyclic D-Phe7 analogues also displayed the phenomenon of superagonism, which is a time-dependent increase in efficacy over that produced by an equipotent concentration of the native hormone. Cyclization of certain linear melanotropins resulted in analogues with increased resistance to biological degradation by serum enzymes or purified proteolytic enzymes. Further, incorporation of a D-Phe7 into in the cyclic analogues led to melanotropins that were totally resistant to enzymatic inactivation by trypsin.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography studies of alpha-MSH fragments.

alpha-Melanotropin (alpha-MSH) is a linear tridecapeptide (Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2), that is primarily known for its ability to stimulate melanosome dispersion within integumental melanocytes (F. J. H. Tilders, D. F. Swaab and T. B. van Wimersma Greidanus (Editors), Frontiers of Hormone Research, Vol. 4, Karger, Basel, 1977; J. Ramachandran, S. W. Farmer, S. Liles and C. H. Li, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 428 (1976) 347). In our efforts to understand the relationships of structure and conformation to the biological activities of alpha-MSH, we have prepared a series of diastereoisomeric analogues based on the highly potent analogue Ac-[Nle4, D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH4-11-NH2 (T. K. Sawyer, V. J. Hruby, B. C. Wilkes, M. T. Draelos, M. E. Hadley and J. Bergsneider, J. Med. Chem., 25 (1982) 1022). These analogues differed only in the amino acid substituted in the seven position, which was thought to be a critical residue for the biological activity of alpha-MSH. The chromatographic behavior of these analogues was examined on a C18 Vydac (16-micron) reversed-phase column with five different mobile phases. The selectivity (alpha) for the analogues was compared in 0.10% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), 0.10% heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA) and 0.25 M triethylammonium phosphate (TEAP) using either acetonitrile or methanol as the organic modifier. With only one exception all analogues substituted with a D-amino acid in the seven position were eluted prior to their L-amino acid counterparts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMed1984

Cyclic melanotropins. 5. Importance of the C-terminal tripeptide (Lys-Pro-Val).

In previous work we reported that [Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH (II) and Ac-[Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-13-NH2 (III) were superpotent melanotropins. Ac-[Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-10-NH2 (VI), which constitutes the cyclic analogue of the putative active site sequence -Met4-Glu5-His6-Phe7-Arg8-Trp9-Gly10- of alpha-MSH, was much less active. In the present investigation the contribution of the Lys11 and Pro12 residues of the C-terminal carboxamide tripeptide -Lys11-Pro12-Val13-NH2 to the potency of Cys4,Cys10 containing cyclic melanotropins was studied. Ac-[Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-11-NH2 (V) was less potent than alpha-MSH in the frog and lizard skin bioassays and the mouse S-91 (Cloudman) melanoma adenylate cyclase assay but more potent than Ac-[Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-10-NH2 in the three assays studied. Ac-[Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-12-NH2 (IV) was considerably more potent than the cyclic 4-11 melanotropin and was, in fact, equipotent or even slightly more potent than [Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH and Ac-[Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-13-NH2 over the linear portion of the dose-response in all three bioassays. These results demonstrate that Lys11 and Pro12 but to a lesser extent Val13 of the C-terminal tripeptide sequence contributes to the potency of the cyclic melanotropins. The further substitution of a D-Phe7 for the L-Phe7 residue into the cyclic 4-12 analogue resulted in a highly potent compound Ac-[Cys4,D-Phe7,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-12-NH2 (VII) that exhibited highly prolonged biological activity.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

PubMed1984

Cyclic melanotropins. Part VII: Modified ring structures--synthesis and biological activity.

The highly potent cyclic analogue of alpha-MSH, Ac-[Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-13-NH2, was structurally modified in position 4. Four analogues were prepared and their biological activities in the in vitro frog and lizard skin bioassays were determined. It was shown that removing the terminal acetylamino group to give [Mpa4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-13-NH2 resulted in little change in the biological activity, but a change in the stereochemistry of cysteine in position 4 to give Ac-[D-Cys4,Cys10[-alpha-MSH4-a3-NH2 led to a small decrease of activity in both bioassays. Decreasing the size of the intramolecular ring by removing one methylene group to give [Maa2,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-13-NH2, resulted in an analogue with lower activities in both assays (about 3 times in the lizard and 500 times in the frog), and increasing the size of the righ by methylene group to give Ac-[Hcy4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-13-NH2 led to much lower activities in the lizard system and similar effects were seen upon decreasing the ring size in the frog skin assay.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Relative stability of alpha-melanotropin and related analogues to rat brain homogenates.

alpha-Melanotropin (alpha-MSH) retains less than 1% of its original activity after a 60 min incubation with 10% rat brain homogenate. [Nle4,D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH is nonbiodegradable in rat serum (240 min incubation) and still maintains 10% of its original activity in 10% rat brain homogenate (240 min incubation). The related fragment analogue, Ac-[Nle4,D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH4-10-NH2, retains 50% of its activity after a 240 min incubation in rat brain homogenate, whereas Ac-[Nle4,D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH4-11-NH2 is totally resistant to inactivation by rat brain homogenate. Both [Nle4,D-Phe7]-fragments are resistant to degradation by rat serum, but [Nle4]-alpha-MSH, Ac-[Nle4]-alpha-MSH4-10-NH2 and Ac-[Nle4]-alpha-MSH4-11-NH2 are rapidly inactivated under both conditions. The cyclic melanotropin, [Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH, is inactivated in rat brain homogenate as is the shorter Ac-[Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-10-NH2 analogue, but neither cyclic melanotropin is inactivated upon incubation in serum from rats. Ac-[Cys4,D-Phe7,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-10-NH2 is resistant to inactivation by either rat serum or a brain homogenate. Some of these melanotropin analogues may provide useful probes for the localization and characterization of putative melanotropin receptors in both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Structural and conformational modifications of alpha-MSH/ACTH4-10 provide melanotropin analogues with highly potent behavioral activities.

Previous studies have identified the (4-10) heptapeptide sequence as the central core of alpha-MSH/ACTH peptides required for mediation of important biological activities. In the present study, the structure-activity relationships of Nle4-substituted and Cys4,Cys10-bridged cyclic alpha-MSH analogues, which were previously shown to exhibit a wide range of melanotropic potencies from weak agonism to super potency, were examined for grooming behavioral activity in the rat following intracerebroventricular injections. The results showed that stepwise C-terminal elongation of the linear Nle4-substituted Ac-alpha-MSH4-10-NH2 increased grooming potencies of the peptides in a manner similar to their actions on melanocytes. The most interesting finding was the observation that cyclization of the inactive linear "central (4-10) core" of alpha-MSH (Ac-alpha-MSH4-10) to form Ac-[Cys4,Cys10]-alpha-MSH4-10-NH2 resulted in a super potent agonist in the grooming assay. However, while cyclization of the (4-10) heptapeptide produced potent agonists on grooming behavior, the structure-activity relationships were different than the frog skin bioassay. These findings support the hypothesis that appropriate structural and confirmational modifications of alpha-MSH-related peptides can produce profound effects on the bioactivities of the peptides, and suggest that different structural-conformational requirements exist for alpha-MSH interactions with its various receptors.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone message and inhibitory sequences: comparative structure-activity studies on melanocytes.

We investigated the structure-activity relationships of alpha-MSH (alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone) fragment derivatives of the generic formulae Ac-alpha-MSH(x-13)-NH2 and Ac-alpha-MSH(6-x)-NH2. The minimal C-terminal sequences required for melanotropic activity were 8-13 and 7-13, respectively, in the frog and lizard skin bioassays. The Arg8-Trp9 sequence appears to be a fundamental component of the minimal message sequences found to date such as alpha-MSH(6-9), alpha-MSH(8-13) and alpha-MSH(7-13). We discovered that Ac-alpha-MSH(7-10)-NH2 was a weak and selective alpha-MSH antagonist on the lizard skin bioassay. Analysis of alpha-MSH(7-10) analogues of the generic formula Ac-Xaa-Arg-Trp-Yaa-NH2 led to Ac-[D-Trp7,D-Phe10]alpha-MSH(7-10)-NH2, a moderately potent, specific and competitive inhibitor of alpha-MSH in both the frog and the lizard skin bioassays.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Truncated analogues of endothelin and sarafotoxin are selective for the ETB receptor subtype.

The sarafotoxins (SRTXs) are a family of 21-amino acid bicyclic peptides that are structurally similar to the potent vasoconstrictors, the endothelins (ETs). SRTX-6c exhibits high selectivity for the ETB receptor subtype over the ETA subtype. This selectivity may be a result of a modification at positions 9 or 13, which are Glu9 and Asn13 in SRTX-6c and Lys9 and Tyr13 in ET-1. The truncated linear endothelin [Ala11,15]ET-18-21 was also on ETB receptor-selective ligand with 6-nM binding affinity. Therefore, a series of truncated endothelin/sarafotoxin (8-21) hybrid analogues were prepared, varying the amino acid at residues 9 and/or 13. These peptides were assayed for binding in tissues selectively expressing either the ETA or the ETB receptor subtypes. All linear analogues showed poor ETA binding, while ETB affinity was sequence dependent. Monocyclic 11-15 disulfide-containing analogues failed to bind to either ETA or ETB receptors at concentrations of up to 10 microM.

Amino Acid Sequence↗