Amphibian tachykinin precursor

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2006 Dec 1;350(4):983-6. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.09.150. Epub 2006 Oct 6.

Abstract

The precursor of amphibian tachykinin has not been found although more than 30 tachykinins have been isolated from amphibians since 1964. In this report, two tachykinin-like peptides are identified from the skin secretions of the frog, Odorrana grahami. Their amino acid sequences are DDTEDLANKFIGLM-NH(2) (named tachykinin OG1) and DDASDRAKKFYGLM-NH(2) that is the same with ranamargarin found in Rana margaretae, respectively, with a conserved FXGLM-NH(2) C-terminal consensus motif. By cDNA cloning, their precursors were screened from the skin cDNA library of O. grahami. The precursors are composed of 61 amino acid (aa) residues including a signal peptide followed by an acidic spacer peptide and one copy of mature tachykinin-like peptide. Their overall structure is different from structures of other tachykinin precursors such as human protachykinin 1 precursor containing 143 aa including one copy of substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA), and ascidian tachykinin 1 precursor containing 164 aa including two copies of tachykinin-like peptides. The current results demonstrate that the biosynthesis mode of tachykinins in amphibians is different from other animals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Evolution, Molecular*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Ranidae / classification
  • Ranidae / genetics*
  • Ranidae / metabolism*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Species Specificity
  • Tachykinins / chemistry*
  • Tachykinins / genetics*

Substances

  • Tachykinins