A triad of interacting groups (TyrOH-His-O2C) in angiotensin II (ANG II) has been postulated to create the tyrosinate anion pharmacophore (tyanophore) responsible for receptor activation/triggering (Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1991, 1065, 21). In the present study we investigated the effects on bioactivity of substituting the Tyr4 residue in [Sar1]ANG II with other anionic or electronegative amino acids, and with a number of aromatic amino acids lacking a hydroxyl group. [Sar1 Nva(delta-OH)4]ANG II, [Sar1 Nva(delta-OCH3)4]ANG II, [Sar1 Met4]ANG II, [Sar1 Gln4]ANG II, [Sar1 Glu4]ANG II and [Sar1 DL-Alg]ANG II had agonist activities in the rat isolated uterus assay of 4, 3, 19, 10, < 0.1 and < 0.1%, respectively, of that of ANG II. [Sar1 Nal4]ANG II, [Sar1 Pal4]ANG II, [Sar1 DL-Phg(4'-F)4]ANG II, [Sar1 Phe(4'-F)4]ANG II, [Sar1 Phe(F5)4]ANG II and [Sar1 His4]ANG II had agonist activities of 4.5, 7, < 0.1, 0.2, 1 and 0.6%, respectively. All peptides investigated were devoid of measurable antagonist activity except [Sar1 Phe(4'-F)4ANG II (pA2 = 7.7). These findings illustrate that anionic or electronegative aliphatic side chains replacing tyrosinate at position 4 can partially activate the angiotensin receptor. For ANG II analogues containing an aromatic amino acid other than Tyr at position 4, ligand binding and agonist activity are not dependent on the electronegativity or dipole moment of the aromatic ring, or on the ability of the 4' ring substituent to accept a proton.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)