Identification and characterization of two G protein-coupled receptors for neuropeptide FF.

The central nervous system octapeptide, neuropeptide FF (NPFF), is believed to play a role in pain modulation and opiate tolerance. Two G protein-coupled receptors, NPFF1 and NPFF2, were isolated from human and rat central nervous system tissues. NPFF specifically bound to NPFF1 (K(d) = 1.13 nm) and NPFF2 (K(d) = 0.37 nm), and both receptors were activated by NPFF in a variety of heterologous expression systems. The localization of mRNA and binding sites of these receptors in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the lateral hypothalamus, the spinal trigeminal nuclei, and the thalamic nuclei supports a role for NPFF in pain modulation. Among the receptors with the highest amino acid sequence homology to NPFF1 and NPFF2 are members of the orexin, NPY, and cholecystokinin families, which have been implicated in feeding. These similarities together with the finding that BIBP3226, an anorexigenic Y1 receptor ligand, also binds to NPFF1 suggest a potential role for NPFF1 in feeding. The identification of NPFF1 and NPFF2 will help delineate their roles in these and other physiological functions.

Identification and characterization of two neuromedin U receptors differentially expressed in peripheral tissues and the central nervous system.

Two structurally related, G-protein-coupled receptors were identified as receptors for the neuropeptide, neuromedin U. This peptide is found in highest levels in the gut and genitourinary system where it potently contracts smooth muscle but is also expressed in the spinal cord and discrete regions of the brain. Binding sites for neuromedin U have been characterized in rat uterus, however, little is known about the activity of this peptide in the regions of the central nervous system where it is expressed. The receptors characterized in this report are activated by neuromedin U at nanomolar potency in heterologous expression systems and bind radiolabeled neuromedin U with high affinity. Localization of the receptor RNA by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in a variety of human tissues shows distinct expression patterns for the two receptors. NMU1 is expressed predominantly in peripheral tissues, whereas NMU2 is more highly expressed in the central nervous system. Identification of neuromedin U receptor subtypes will greatly aid in the determination of the physiological roles of this peptide.

The use of topographical constraints in receptor mapping: investigation of the topographical requirements of the tryptophan 30 residue for receptor binding of Asp-Tyr-D-Phe-Gly-Trp-(N-Me)Nle-Asp-Phe-NH2 (SNF 9007), a cholecystokinin (26-33) analogue that binds to both CCK-B and delta-opioid receptors.

The cholecystokinin (26-33) [CCK (26-33)] octapeptide analog Asp-Tyr-D-Phe-Gly-Trp(N-Me)-Nle-Asp-Phe-NH2 (SNF 9007) is a potent and selective ligand for both the CCK-B and delta-opioid receptors. Pharmacological studies of SNF 9007 suggest a relationship between the ligand requirements of CCK-B and delta-opioid receptors, which further implies a possible structural relationship between these receptors. We have utilized topographical constrainment of the important Trp30 residue to investigate structural features of SNF 9007 that would distinguish between binding requirements in this region for the CCK-B and delta-opioid receptors. Thus, the four optically pure isomers of beta-MeTrp were substituted for L-Trp30 of SNF 9007. Receptor binding results suggest that the preferred topography of the Trp30 residue for CCK-B receptor binding may be the 2S,3S (erythro-L) configuration whereas for the delta-opioid receptor it may be the 2S,3R (threo-L) configuration. Molecular modeling studies of these ligands further support the recently revised receptor-bound model for CCK-B octapeptide ligands (Kolodziej et al. J. Med. Chem. 1995, 38, 137-149) and are in good agreement with the DPDPE-delta opioid receptor "template" model (Nikiforovich et al. Biopolymers 1991, 31, 941-955).

Topographical modification of melanotropin peptide analogues with beta-methyltryptophan isomers at position 9 leads to differential potencies and prolonged biological activities.

We have introduced topographical constraints at the 9 position of a superpotent cyclic alpha-melanotropin analogue, Ac-Nle4-Asp5-His6-DPhe7-Arg8-Trp9-Lys10-NH2, by incorporating a methyl group at the beta-carbon of Trp9. These studies were performed on the Trp side chain pharmacophore to identify the bioactive topography of the indole moiety with melanocortin MC1 receptors. The four beta-MeTrp9 isomers, in addition to the stereochemical controls L- and DTrp9, were used to probe differential receptor molecular recognition of the tryptophan moiety in two bioassay systems. Approximately a 460-fold difference in potency was observed between the diastereoisomeric peptides in the frog skin bioassay, with only 33- and 10-fold efficacy differences observed in binding and intracellular cAMP accumulation, respectively, on the human melanocortin receptor, hMC1R. The relative orders of potencies in the frog skin bioassay were 2R,3S > 2S,3S = 2R,3R >> 2S,3R and for the hMC1R were 2S,3S > 2R,3R > 2R,3S >> 2S,3R. Of particular interest is the ability of these topographically constrained ligands to differentially affect prolonged biological activity. The 2R,3R diastereoisomeric peptide possessed superprolonged activity, whereas the 2S,3S peptide lacked any residual activity in the frog skin bioassay. However, on the melanocortin receptor, the 2S,3S diastereoisomeric peptide maintained slow dissociation rates (t1/2 = 7 h), while the other diastereoisomeric peptides possessed dissociation t1/2 rates of ca. 2 h. These data strongly implicate ligand-receptor interactions and kinetics as contributing to the observed prolonged biological activities and clearly illustrate topographical recognition differences between these two peripheral MC1 receptors involved in skin pigmentation. This study also demonstrates that topographical modifications of pharmacophore side chain residues, in addition to identifying preferential side chain orientation, can be a useful strategy for the design of peptides to increase the duration of biological activity, relative to the native ligand.

Arylamine-nucleoside adduct formation: evidence for arylnitrene involvement in the reactions of an N-acetoxyarylamine.

N-Acetoxyarylamines are reactive metabolites that are produced from N-arylhydroxamic acids by N-arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase and by the acetyl coenzyme A-dependent O-acetylation of N-arylhydroxylamines. Solvolytic decomposition of 7-acetyl-2-(N-acetoxyamino)fluorene (3) afforded 7-acetyl-2-aminofluorene (4) and 7,7'-diacetyl-2,2'-azofluorene (5). Solvolysis of 3 in the presence of 2'-deoxyguanosine resulted in formation of N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-7-acetyl-2-aminofluorene (2), along with smaller yields of 4 and 5 than were obtained in the absence of 2'-deoxyguanosine. The inclusion of nitrene trapping agents, such as piperylene, triethyl phosphite, 1-chloro-4-nitrosobenzene, and oxygen, in the reaction medium with 3 and 2'-deoxyguanosine caused a reduction in the yields of 2, 4, and 5. Additionally, products that would be expected to be formed through reaction with an arylnitrene intermediate were obtained when triethyl phosphite, 1-chloro-4-nitrosobenzene, and oxygen were included in the incubations with 3 and 2'-deoxyguanosine. The results support the proposal that a nitrene intermediate is involved in the formation of 2, 4, and 5 from 3.

Bioactivation of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorenes by N,O-acyltransferase: substituent effects on covalent binding to DNA.

N-Acetoxyarylamines are reactive metabolites that lead to arylamine adduct formation with biological macromolecules. A series of 7-substituted-N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorenes were converted to reactive N-acetoxyarylamines by enzymatic N,O-acyltransfer in the presence of DNA. The N-arylhydroxamic acid substrates that contained electronegative 7-substituents formed greater amounts of DNA adducts than either the unsubstituted compound (N-OH-AAF) or those analogs that contained electron-donating groups in the 7-position. Glutathione did not decrease the rates of DNA adduct formation, but other nucleophiles, such as potassium O-ethylxanthate, thiourea and N-acetylmethionine, inhibited adduct formation by the 7-Br-substituted compound (7-Br-N-OH-AAF) and the unsubstituted parent compound (N-OH-AAF). Nucleophiles, reducing agents (e.g. ascorbic acid) and spin-trapping agents had minimal effect on DNA adduct formation by the bioactivated form of 7-acetyl-2-(N-hydroxy-acetylamino)fluorene (7-Ac-N-OH-AAF). Triethylphosphite, an agent that reacts with aryl nitrenes, caused a concentration-dependent reduction in the amount of DNA adduct formed subsequent to bioactivation of 7-Ac-N-OH-AAF, but did not influence adduct formation when N-OH-AAF and 7-Br-N-OH-AAF were the substrates. The results indicate that a change in the reaction mechanism(s) responsible for DNA adduct formation occurred when the strongly electronegative acetyl group was incorporated into the 7-position of N-OH-AAF. It is proposed that a nitrene intermediate is involved in the formation of covalent adducts with DNA when 7-Ac-N-OH-AAF is activated by N,O-acyltransfer.

Comparative toxicity and mutagenicity of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene and 7-acetyl-N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene in human lymphoblasts.

Exponentially growing TK6 human lymphoblasts were exposed to either 0-50 microM N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF) or 0-10 microM 7-acetyl-N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (7-acetyl-N-OH-AAF) in both the absence and presence of a partially purified preparation of hamster-liver N-arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase (AHAT). Neither N-arylhydroxamic acid was toxic to the lymphoblasts, nor mutagenic at the thymidine kinase (tk) locus, in the absence of AHAT over the concentration range examined. In the presence of AHAT, an enzyme that activates N-arylhydroxamic acids to electrophilic N-acetoxyarylamine intermediates, both compounds caused toxicity and mutagenicity in TK6 cells. The 7-acetyl-N-OH-AAF was approximately 10-fold more toxic and mutagenic than the unsubstituted N-OH-AAF. These data demonstrate that metabolism of these N-arylhydroxamic acids, presumably to N-acetoxyarylamine intermediates by AHAT, is a key event in the biological activity of these agents. In addition, the presence of electron-withdrawing 7-acetyl substituent that is thought to stabilize N-acetoxy intermediates, appears to enhance the biological activity of the unsubstituted N-OH-AAF.

Affinity alkylation of hamster hepatic arylamine N-acetyltransferases: isolation of a modified cysteine residue.

N-Acetyltransferases (NATs) play key roles in the detoxification and/or bioactivation of arylamines, arylhydroxylamines, arylhydroxamic acids, and hydrazines in mammalian tissues. In the present study, two hamster hepatic NATs (NAT I and NAT II) were separated, and each was purified greater than 2000-fold by sequential ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE anion exchange chromatography, Sephadex G-75 gel filtration chromatography, aminoazobenzene-coupled affinity chromatography, and DEAE anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography. Both NAT I and NAT II were purified to near-homogeneity. The molecular masses of NAT I and NAT II were estimated to be 30.5 kDa and 32.6 kDa, respectively. 2-(Bromoacetylamino)fluorene (Br-AAF) and bromoacetanilide were synthesized and evaluated as affinity labels for NAT I and NAT II. Whereas Br-AAF was a highly selective inactivator of NAT II, bromoacetanilide inactivated both NAT I and NAT II in a similar fashion. Inactivation of NAT II by both Br-AAF and bromoacetanilide, and inactivation of NAT I by bromoacetanilide, followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. Relative rate constants (k(obs)/[I]) for the two compounds indicate that Br-AAF is approximately 25 times more potent than bromoacetanilide as an inactivator of NAT II. Both acetylcoenzyme A (CoASAc) and 2-acetylaminofluorene protected NAT II from inactivation by Br-AAF, and CoASAc provided protection of both NAT I and NAT II activities from inactivation by bromoacetanilide, indicating that the inactivation by both bromoacetanilide and Br-AAF is active site directed. The irreversibility of the inactivation of NATs by Br-AAF and bromoacetanilide was demonstrated by the failure to recover transacetylase activities after gel filtration of enzyme preparations that had been preincubated with Br-AAF or bromoacetanilide. Preincubation of NAT II with CoASAc significantly reduced the incorporation of [14C]Br-AAF into the enzyme, providing further evidence that the labeling is active site directed. In addition, pretreatment of NAT II with N-ethylmaleimide completely prevented the labeling of NAT II with [14C]Br-AAF, which suggests that a cysteine thiol is the target nucleophile of Br-AAF. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of the hydrochloric acid hydrolysate of [14C]Br-AAF-labeled NAT II revealed that 70% of total radioactivity is associated with S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine, indicating that Br-AAF reacts primarily with a cysteine residue at the active site. These studies provide direct evidence that hamster hepatic NAT II contains an essential cysteine residue at the active site, and they establish the potential utility of Br-AAF for determining amino acid sequences in the active site of hamster hepatic NAT II.