How insulin engages its primary binding site on the insulin receptor.

Insulin receptor signalling has a central role in mammalian biology, regulating cellular metabolism, growth, division, differentiation and survival. Insulin resistance contributes to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the onset of Alzheimer's disease; aberrant signalling occurs in diverse cancers, exacerbated by cross-talk with the homologous type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1R). Despite more than three decades of investigation, the three-dimensional structure of the insulin-insulin receptor complex has proved elusive, confounded by the complexity of producing the receptor protein. Here we present the first view, to our knowledge, of the interaction of insulin with its primary binding site on the insulin receptor, on the basis of four crystal structures of insulin bound to truncated insulin receptor constructs. The direct interaction of insulin with the first leucine-rich-repeat domain (L1) of insulin receptor is seen to be sparse, the hormone instead engaging the insulin receptor carboxy-terminal α-chain (αCT) segment, which is itself remodelled on the face of L1 upon insulin binding. Contact between insulin and L1 is restricted to insulin B-chain residues. The αCT segment displaces the B-chain C-terminal ß-strand away from the hormone core, revealing the mechanism of a long-proposed conformational switch in insulin upon receptor engagement. This mode of hormone-receptor recognition is novel within the broader family of receptor tyrosine kinases. We support these findings by photo-crosslinking data that place the suggested interactions into the context of the holoreceptor and by isothermal titration calorimetry data that dissect the hormone-insulin receptor interface. Together, our findings provide an explanation for a wealth of biochemical data from the insulin receptor and IGF1R systems relevant to the design of therapeutic insulin analogues.

Protective hinge in insulin opens to enable its receptor engagement.

Insulin provides a classical model of a globular protein, yet how the hormone changes conformation to engage its receptor has long been enigmatic. Interest has focused on the C-terminal B-chain segment, critical for protective self-assembly in ß cells and receptor binding at target tissues. Insight may be obtained from truncated "microreceptors" that reconstitute the primary hormone-binding site (α-subunit domains L1 and αCT). We demonstrate that, on microreceptor binding, this segment undergoes concerted hinge-like rotation at its B20-B23 ß-turn, coupling reorientation of Phe(B24) to a 60° rotation of the B25-B28 ß-strand away from the hormone core to lie antiparallel to the receptor's L1-ß2 sheet. Opening of this hinge enables conserved nonpolar side chains (Ile(A2), Val(A3), Val(B12), Phe(B24), and Phe(B25)) to engage the receptor. Restraining the hinge by nonstandard mutagenesis preserves native folding but blocks receptor binding, whereas its engineered opening maintains activity at the price of protein instability and nonnative aggregation. Our findings rationalize properties of clinical mutations in the insulin family and provide a previously unidentified foundation for designing therapeutic analogs. We envisage that a switch between free and receptor-bound conformations of insulin evolved as a solution to conflicting structural determinants of biosynthesis and function.

Autoimmunity against INS-IGF2 protein expressed in human pancreatic islets.

Insulin is a major autoantigen in islet autoimmunity and progression to type 1 diabetes. It has been suggested that the insulin B-chain may be critical to insulin autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes. INS-IGF2 consists of the preproinsulin signal peptide, the insulin B-chain, and eight amino acids of the C-peptide in addition to 138 amino acids from the IGF2 gene. We aimed to determine the expression of INS-IGF2 in human pancreatic islets and autoantibodies in newly diagnosed children with type 1 diabetes and controls. INS-IGF2, expressed primarily in beta cells, showed higher levels of expression in islets from normal compared with donors with either type 2 diabetes (p = 0.006) or high HbA1c levels (p < 0.001). INS-IGF2 autoantibody levels were increased in newly diagnosed patients with type 1 diabetes (n = 304) compared with healthy controls (n = 355; p < 0.001). Displacement with cold insulin and INS-IGF2 revealed that more patients than controls had doubly reactive insulin-INS-IGF2 autoantibodies. These data suggest that INS-IGF2, which contains the preproinsulin signal peptide, the B-chain, and eight amino acids of the C-peptide may be an autoantigen in type 1 diabetes. INS-IGF2 and insulin may share autoantibody-binding sites, thus complicating the notion that insulin is the primary autoantigen in type 1 diabetes.

Disruption of proprotein convertase 1/3 (PC1/3) expression in mice causes innate immune defects and uncontrolled cytokine secretion.

The proprotein convertase 1/3 is expressed in the regulated secretory pathway of neural and endocrine cells. Its major function is in the post-translational processing and activation of precursor proteins. The PC1/3 knock-out (KO) mouse model has allowed us to elucidate its physiological functions in studies focused primarily on neuroendocrine tissues. However, PC1/3 is also expressed in cells of the immune system, mainly in macrophages. The present study explores the effects of innate immune challenge in the PC1/3 KO mouse. PC1/3 KO mice have an enlarged spleen with marked disorganization of the marginal zone and red pulp. Immunohistochemical studies using various markers demonstrate a depletion of dendritic cells in PC1/3 KO spleens. When challenged with lipopolysaccharide, PC1/3 KO mice are more susceptible to septic shock than wild-type controls or other PC KO mice, such as PC2 and PC7 null mice. Plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α) were very significantly elevated in PC1/3 KO mice, consistent with a hypercytokinemia, i.e. indicative of a major systemic uncontrolled inflammatory response or cytokine storm. Peritoneal macrophages isolated from PC1/3 KO mice also demonstrate elevated cytokine secretion when treated with LPS. Electron micrographs show morphological features indicating a prolonged activation of these cells following LPS stimulation. We also present evidence that the proinflammatory T(h)1 pathway is dominant in the PC1/3 KO mouse model. We conclude that aside from its important role in neuroendocrine functions PC1/3 also has an important role in the regulation of the innate immune system, most likely through the regulation of cytokine secretion in macrophages.

Structural resolution of a tandem hormone-binding element in the insulin receptor and its implications for design of peptide agonists.

The C-terminal segment of the human insulin receptor alpha-chain (designated alphaCT) is critical to insulin binding as has been previously demonstrated by alanine scanning mutagenesis and photo-cross-linking. To date no information regarding the structure of this segment within the receptor has been available. We employ here the technique of thermal-factor sharpening to enhance the interpretability of the electron-density maps associated with the earlier crystal structure of the human insulin receptor ectodomain. The alphaCT segment is now resolved as being engaged with the central beta-sheet of the first leucine-rich repeat (L1) domain of the receptor. The segment is alpha-helical in conformation and extends 11 residues N-terminal of the classical alphaCT segment boundary originally defined by peptide mapping. This tandem structural element (alphaCT-L1) thus defines the intact primary insulin-binding surface of the apo-receptor. The structure, together with isothermal titration calorimetry data of mutant alphaCT peptides binding to an insulin minireceptor, leads to the conclusion that putative "insulin-mimetic" peptides in the literature act at least in part as mimics of the alphaCT segment as well as of insulin. Photo-cross-linking by novel bifunctional insulin derivatives demonstrates that the interaction of insulin with the alphaCT segment and the L1 domain occurs in trans, i.e., these components of the primary binding site are contributed by alternate alpha-chains within the insulin receptor homodimer. The tandem structural element defines a new target for the design of insulin agonists for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Adventures with insulin in the islets of Langerhans.

Insulin is a small but beautifully organized protein with a unique two-chain structure, the first protein to be sequenced. The mechanism of its biosynthesis invited much initial speculation but was finally clarified by the discovery of proinsulin, its single-chain precursor. The rich present-day field of protein precursor processing via post-translational proteolysis within the secretory pathway arose in the early 1970s as an offshoot of studies on insulin biosynthesis, which provided a novel paradigm for the generation of many other small neuroendocrine peptides. Before long, this mechanism was also found to play a role in the production of a much wider spectrum of proteins traversing the secretory pathway (receptors, growth factors, blood-clotting components, and even many viral envelope proteins) occurring in almost all eukaryotic cells. Indeed, yeast provided a key clue in the search for the proprotein convertases, the endoproteases that work along with carboxypeptidases and other modifying enzymes, such as the amidating enzyme complex (PAM), in converting inactive or less active precursor proteins into their fully active peptide products. In this "Reflections" article, I have tried to recount the people and events in my life that led to my involvement first in basic biochemical research and then on to insulin, proinsulin, and many relevant related areas that continue to fascinate and challenge my colleagues and me, as well as many other biomedical scientists today, as diabetes mellitus increasingly threatens human health throughout our contemporary world.

Neuropeptidomic analysis establishes a major role for prohormone convertase-2 in neuropeptide biosynthesis.

Prohormone convertase 2 (PC2) functions in the generation of neuropeptides from their precursors. A quantitative peptidomics approach was used to evaluate the role of PC2 in the processing of peptides in a variety of brain regions. Altogether, 115 neuropeptides or other peptides derived from secretory pathway proteins were identified. These peptides arise from 28 distinct secretory pathway proteins, including proenkephalin, proopiomelanocortin, prodynorphin, protachykinin A and B, procholecystokinin, and many others. Forty one of the peptides found in wild-type (WT) mice were not detectable in any of the brain regions of PC2 knockout mice, and another 24 peptides were present at levels ranging from 20% to 79% of WT levels. Most of the other peptides were not substantially affected by the mutation, with levels ranging from 80% to 120% of WT levels, and only three peptides were found to increase in one or more brain regions of PC2 knockout mice. Taken together, these results are consistent with a broad role for PC2 in neuropeptide processing, but with functional redundancy for many of the cleavages. Comparison of the cleavage sites affected by the absence of PC2 confirms previous suggestions that sequences with a Trp, Tyr, and/or Pro in the P1' or P2' position are preferentially cleaved by PC2 and not by other enzymes present in the secretory pathway.

Analysis of peptides in prohormone convertase 1/3 null mouse brain using quantitative peptidomics.

Neuropeptides are produced from larger precursors by limited proteolysis, first by endopeptidases and then by carboxypeptidases. Major endopeptidases required for these cleavages include prohormone convertase (PC) 1/3 and PC2. In this study, quantitative peptidomics analysis was used to characterize the specific role PC1/3 plays in this process. Peptides isolated from hypothalamus, amygdala, and striatum of PC1/3 null mice were compared with those from heterozygous and wild-type mice. Extracts were labeled with stable isotopic tags and fractionated by HPLC, after which relative peptide levels were determined using tandem mass spectrometry. In total, 92 peptides were found, of which 35 were known neuropeptides or related peptides derived from 15 distinct secretory pathway proteins: 7B2, chromogranin A and B, cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript, procholecystokinin, proenkephalin, promelanin concentrating hormone, proneurotensin, propituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide, proSAAS, prosomatosatin, provasoactive intestinal peptide, provasopressin, secretogranin III, and VGF. Among the peptides derived from these proteins, approximately 1/3 were decreased in the PC1/3 null mice relative to wild-type mice, approximately 1/3 showed no change, and approximately 1/3 increased in PC1/3 null. Cleavage sites were analyzed in peptides that showed no change or that decreased in PC1/3 mice, and these results were compared with peptides that showed no change or decreased in previous peptidomic studies with PC2 null mice. Analysis of these sites showed that while PC1/3 and PC2 have overlapping substrate preferences, there are particular cleavage site residues that distinguish peptides preferred by each PC.

Mutant proinsulin proteins associated with neonatal diabetes are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and not efficiently secreted.

Mutations in the preproinsulin protein that affect processing of preproinsulin to proinsulin or lead to misfolding of proinsulin are associated with diabetes. We examined the subcellular localization and secretion of 13 neonatal diabetes-associated human proinsulin proteins (A24D, G32R, G32S, L35P, C43G, G47V, F48C, G84R, R89C, G90C, C96Y, S101C and Y108C) in rat INS-1 insulinoma cells. These mutant proinsulin proteins accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and are poorly secreted except for G84R and in contrast to wild-type and hyperproinsulinemia-associated mutant proteins (H34D and R89H) which were sorted to secretory granules and efficiently secreted. We also examined the effect of C96Y mutant proinsulin on the synthesis and secretion of wild-type insulin and observed a dominant-negative effect of the mutant proinsulin on the synthesis and secretion of wild-type insulin due to induction of the unfolded protein response and resulting attenuation of overall translation.

Clinical and molecular genetics of neonatal diabetes due to mutations in the insulin gene.

Over the last decade our insight into the causes of neonatal diabetes has greatly expanded. Neonatal diabetes was once considered a variant of type 1 diabetes that presented early in life. Recent advances in our understanding of this disorder have established that neonatal diabetes is not an autoimmune disease, but rather is a monogenic form of diabetes resulting from mutations in a number of different genes encoding proteins that play a key role in the normal function of the pancreatic beta-cell. Moreover, a correct genetic diagnosis can affect treatment and clinical outcome. This is especially true for patients with mutations in the genes KCNJ11 or ABCC8 that encode the two protein subunits (Kir6.2 and SUR1, respectively) of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel. These patients can be treated with oral sulfonylurea drugs with better glycemic control and quality of life. Recently, mutations in the insulin gene (INS) itself have been identified as another cause of neonatal diabetes. In this article, we review the role of INS mutations in the pathophysiology of neonatal diabetes.

Identification of genetic loci involved in diabetes using a rat model of depression.

While diabetic patients often present with comorbid depression, the underlying mechanisms linking diabetes and depression are unknown. The Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat is a well-known animal model of depression and stress hyperreactivity. In addition, the WKY rat is glucose intolerant and likely harbors diabetes susceptibility alleles. We conducted a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis in the segregating F(2) population of a WKY x Fischer 344 (F344) intercross. We previously published QTL analyses for depressive behavior and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity in this cross. In this study we report results from the QTL analysis for multiple metabolic phenotypes, including fasting glucose, post-restraint stress glucose, postprandial glucose and insulin, and body weight. We identified multiple QTLs for each trait and many of the QTLs overlap with those previously identified using inbred models of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Significant correlations were found between metabolic traits and HPA axis measures, as well as forced swim test behavior. Several metabolic loci overlap with loci previously identified for HPA activity and forced swim behavior in this F(2) intercross, suggesting that the genetic mechanisms underlying these traits may be similar. These results indicate that WKY rats harbor diabetes susceptibility alleles and suggest that this strain may be useful for dissecting the underlying genetic mechanisms linking diabetes, HPA activity, and depression.

Prohormone convertases 1/3 and 2 together orchestrate the site-specific cleavages of progastrin to release gastrin-34 and gastrin-17.

Cellular synthesis of peptide hormones requires PCs (prohormone convertases) for the endoproteolysis of prohormones. Antral G-cells synthesize the most gastrin and express PC1/3, 2 and 5/6 in the rat and human. But the cleavage sites in progastrin for each PC have not been determined. Therefore, in the present study, we measured the concentrations of progastrin, processing intermediates and alpha-amidated gastrins in antral extracts from PC1/3-null mice and compared the results with those in mice lacking PC2 and wild-type controls. The expression of PCs was examined by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization of mouse G-cells. Finally, the in vitro effect of recombinant PC5/6 on progastrin and progastrin fragments containing the relevant dibasic cleavage sites was also examined. The results showed that mouse G-cells express PC1/3, 2 and 5/6. The concentration of progastrin in PC1/3-null mice was elevated 3-fold. Chromatography showed that cleavage of the Arg(36)Arg(37) and Arg(73)Arg(74) sites were grossly decreased. Accordingly, the concentrations of progastrin products were markedly reduced, alpha-amidated gastrins (-34 and -17) being 25% of normal. Lack of PC1/3 was without effect on the third dibasic site (Lys(53)Lys(54)), which is the only processing site for PC2. Recombinant PC5/6 did not cleave any of the dibasic processing sites in progastrin and fragments containing the relevant dibasic processing sites. The complementary cleavages of PC1/3 and 2, however, suffice to explain most of the normal endoproteolysis of progastrin. Moreover, the results show that PCs react differently to the same dibasic sequences, suggesting that additional structural factors modulate the substrate specificity.

The cell-specific pattern of cholecystokinin peptides in endocrine cells versus neurons is governed by the expression of prohormone convertases 1/3, 2, and 5/6.

Most peptide hormone genes are, in addition to endocrine cells, also expressed in neurons. The peptide hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is expressed in different molecular forms in cerebral neurons and intestinal endocrine cells. To understand this difference, we examined the roles of the neuroendocrine prohormone convertases (PC) 1/3, PC2, and PC5/6 by measurement of proCCK, processing intermediates and bioactive, alpha-amidated, and O-sulfated CCK peptides in cerebral and jejunal extracts of null mice, controls, and in the PC5/6-expressing SK-N-MC cell-line. In PC1/3 null mice, the synthesis of bioactive CCK peptide in the gut was reduced to 3% of the translational product, all of which was in the form of alpha-amidated and tyrosine O-sulfated CCK-22, whereas the neuronal synthesis in the brain was largely unaffected. This is opposite to the PC2 null mice in which only the cerebral synthesis was affected. SK-N-MC cells, which express neither PC1/3 nor PC2, synthesized alone the processing intermediate, glycine-extended CCK-22. Immunocytochemistry confirmed that intestinal endocrine CCK cells in wild-type mice express PC1/3 but not PC2. In contrast, cerebral CCK neurons contain PC2 and only little, if any, PC1/3. Taken together, the data indicate that PC1/3 governs the endocrine and PC2 the neuronal processing of proCCK, whereas PC5/6 contributes only to a modest endocrine synthesis of CCK-22. The results suggest that the different peptide patterns in the brain and the gut are due to different expression of PCs.

Impaired NH2-terminal processing of human proislet amyloid polypeptide by the prohormone convertase PC2 leads to amyloid formation and cell death.

Islet amyloid, formed by aggregation of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP; amylin), is a pathological characteristic of the pancreas in type 2 diabetes and may contribute to the progressive loss of beta-cells in this disease. We tested the hypothesis that impaired processing of the IAPP precursor proIAPP contributes to amyloid formation and cell death. GH3 cells lacking the prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3) and IAPP and with very low levels of prohormone convertase 2 (PC2) were transduced with adenovirus (Ad) expressing human or rat (control) proIAPP linked to green fluorescent protein, with or without Ad-PC2 or Ad-PC1/3. Expression of human proIAPP increased the number of transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells 96 h after transduction (+hIAPP 8.7 +/- 0.4% vs. control 3.0 +/- 0.4%; P < 0.05). COOH-terminal processing of human proIAPP by PC1/3 increased (hIAPP+PC1/3 10.4 +/- 0.7%; P < 0.05), whereas NH(2)-terminal processing of proIAPP by addition of PC2 markedly decreased (hIAPP+PC2 5.5 +/- 0.5%; P < 0.05) the number of apoptotic GH3 cells. Islets from mice lacking PC2 and with beta-cell expression of human proIAPP (hIAPP(+/+)/PC2(-/-)) developed amyloid associated with beta-cell death during 2-week culture. Rescue of PC2 expression by ex vivo transduction with Ad-PC2 restored NH(2)-terminal processing to mature IAPP and decreased both the extent of amyloid formation and the number of TUNEL-positive cells (-PC2 26.5 +/- 4.1% vs. +PC2 16.1 +/- 4.3%; P < 0.05). These findings suggest that impaired NH(2)-terminal processing of proIAPP leads to amyloid formation and cell death and that accumulation of the NH(2)-terminally extended human proIAPP intermediate may be a critical initiating step in amyloid formation.

Gene duplication and functional divergence of the zebrafish insulin-like growth factor 1 receptors.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 1 receptor (IGF1R)-mediated signaling plays key roles in growth, development, and physiology. Recent studies have shown that there are two distinct ig f1r genes in zebrafish, termed ig f1ra and ig f1rb. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that zebrafish ig f1ra and ig f1rb resulted from a gene duplication event at the ig f1r locus and that this has led to their functional divergence. The genomic structures of zebrafish ig f1ra and ig f1rb were determined and their loci mapped. While zebrafish ig f1ra has 21 exons and is located on linkage group (LG) 18, zebrafish ig f1rb has 22 exons and mapped to LG 7. There is a strong syntenic relationship between the two zebrafish genes and the human IG F1R gene. Using a MO-based loss-of-function approach, we show that both Igf1ra and Igf1rb are required for zebrafish embryo viability and proper growth and development. Although Igf1ra and Igf1rb demonstrated a large degree of functional overlap with regard to cell differentiation in the developing eye, inner ear, heart, and muscle, they also exhibited functional distinction involving a greater requirement for Igf1rb in spontaneous muscle contractility. These findings suggest that the duplicated zebrafish ig f1r genes play largely overlapping but not identical functional roles in early development and provide novel insight into the functional evolution of the IGF1R/insulin receptor gene family.

RNAi-mediated silencing of prohormone convertase (PC) 5/6 expression leads to impairment in processing of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) precursor.

Understanding the functions of the widely expressed PCs (prohormone/proprotein convertases), including PC5/6, furin and PACE4 (paired basic amino acid cleaving enzyme 4), in animal models is difficult since individual knockouts of these PCs in mice exhibit early embryonic lethality. To investigate the roles of PC5/6 in processing pro-CART (pro-cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript), an important anorexigenic peptide precursor, we have generated GH3 cells silenced for PC5/6 expression by RNAi (RNA interference). We show, following transient knockdown of PC5/6 in these neuroendocrine cells, that generation of the two bioactive forms, CART I (amino acids 42-89/55-102) and CART II (amino acids 49-89/62-102), from pro-CART is impaired due to a lack particularly of the A isoform of PC5/6. The results indicate that PC5/6A shares specificities primarily with PC2 (PC5/6A

Preservation of Reduced Numbers of Insulin-Positive Cells in Sulfonylurea-Unresponsive KCNJ11-Related Diabetes.

Context: The most common genetic cause of permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus is activating mutations in KCNJ11, which can usually be treated using oral sulfonylureas (SUs) instead of insulin injections, although some mutations are SU unresponsive. In this work, we provide a report of the pancreatic islet endocrine cell composition and area in a patient with an SU-unresponsive KCNJ11 mutation (p.G334D), in comparison with age-matched controls. Case Description: Pancreatic autopsy tissue sections from a 2-year-old female child diagnosed with KCNJ11-related diabetes at 4 days of age and 13 age-matched controls were stained with insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide, and Ki67 antibodies to determine islet endocrine cell composition and area. ß-cell ultrastructure was assessed by electron microscopic (EM) analysis. The patient's pancreas (sampling from head to tail) revealed insulin-positive cells in all regions. The pancreatic ß-cell (insulin) area was significantly reduced compared with controls: 0.50% ± 0.04% versus 1.67% ± 0.20%, respectively (P < 0.00001). There were no significant differences in α-cell (glucagon) or δ-cell (somatostatin) area. EM analysis revealed secretory granules with a dense core typical of mature ß-cells as well as granules with a lighter core characteristic of immature granules. Conclusions: Our results suggest that mechanisms exist that allow preservation of ß-cells in the absence of insulin secretion. It remains to be determined to what extent this reduction in ß-cells may be reversible.

Agouti-related protein is posttranslationally cleaved by proprotein convertase 1 to generate agouti-related protein (AGRP)83-132: interaction between AGRP83-132 and melanocortin receptors cannot be influenced by syndecan-3.

Agouti-related protein (AGRP) plays a key role in energy homeostasis. The carboxyl-terminal domain of AGRP acts as an endogenous antagonist of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R). It has been suggested that the amino-terminal domain of AGRP binds to syndecan-3, thereby modulating the effects of carboxyl-terminal AGRP at the MC4-R. This model assumes that AGRP is secreted as a full-length peptide. In this study we found that AGRP is processed intracellularly after Arg(79)-Glu(80)-Pro(81)-Arg(82). The processing site suggests cleavage by proprotein convertases (PCs). RNA interference and overexpression experiments showed that PC1/3 is primarily responsible for cleavage in vitro, although both PC2 and PC5/6A can also process AGRP. Dual in situ hybridization demonstrated that PC1/3 is expressed in AGRP neurons in the rat hypothalamus. Moreover, hypothalamic extracts from PC1-null mice contained 3.3-fold more unprocessed full-length AGRP, compared with wild-type mice, based on combined HPLC and RIA analysis, demonstrating that PC1/3 plays a role in AGRP cleavage in vivo. We also found that AGRP(83-132) is more potent an antagonist than full-length AGRP, based on cAMP reporter assays, suggesting that posttranslational cleavage is required to potentiate the effect of AGRP at the MC4-R. Because AGRP is cleaved into distinct amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal peptides, we tested whether amino-terminal peptides modulate food intake. However, intracerebroventricular injection of rat AGRP(25-47) and AGRP(50-80) had no effect on body weight, food intake, or core body temperature. Because AGRP is cleaved before secretion, syndecan-3 must influence food intake independently of the MC4-R.

Processing of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) precursor proteins by prohormone convertases (PCs) and its implications.

Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides are expressed in several neuroendocrine tissues, including hypothalamus, pituitary, gut, adrenal and pancreas, and are involved in regulating important biological processes including feeding/appetite, drug reward and stress. CART is synthesized as larger, inactive peptide precursors (pro-CART) that require endoproteolytic processing to generate smaller, active forms. Prohormone/proprotein convertases (PCs), a family of calcium-dependent, serine endoproteases, have been shown to cleave many protein precursors in the regulated/constitutive secretory pathway to generate smaller fragments. In our previous studies, we have demonstrated the important roles of the two neuroendocrine-specific PCs, PC2 and PC1/3, in processing the two pro-CART isoforms, long (102aa) and short (89aa), to generate the bioactive CART peptides, I (55-102/42-89) and II (62-102/49-89) as well as the intermediate fragments, 10-89 and 33-102. Our subsequent studies have revealed the participation of another PC family member, PC5/6A (the soluble isoform of a widely expressed PC, PC5/6), in cleaving both precursor isoforms. We conclude that PC5/6A contributes to the normal efficient processing of pro-CART and is functionally more redundant with PC2 than PC1/3 in generating both CART I and II.

Strain-dependent influences on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis profoundly affect the 7B2 and PC2 null phenotypes.

Two null mouse models have previously been created to study the role of the prohormone convertase (PC2) and its helper protein 7B2; unexpectedly, the phenotypes of these two nulls differ profoundly, with the 7B2 but not the PC2 null dying at 5 wk. The genetic backgrounds of these two models differ, with the 7B2 null in a 129/SvEv (129) background and the PC2 null in a mixed C57BL/N6:129/SvEv (B6:129) background. Because background can contribute greatly to phenotype, we have here examined strain influence on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and glucose levels in wild-type, 7B2 null, and PC2 null mice. Wild-type B6 and 129 mice differed in basal corticosterone and glucose levels. When 7B2 nulls were transferred onto the B6 background, they survived and showed greatly decreased circulating corticosterone and increased blood glucose levels, most likely due to the comparatively higher adrenal resistance of the B6 strain to ACTH stimulation. Circulating ACTH levels were increased over wild-type in the B6 7B2 null but did not reach levels as high as the 129 7B2 null. Conversely, when the mixed-strain PC2 nulls were bred into the 129 background at the N6 generation, they began to exhibit the Cushing's-like phenotype characteristic of 129 7B2 null mice and died before 6 wk of age. Taken together, these results indicate that background effects are critical because they increase the phenotypic differences between the 7B2 and PC2 nulls and play a life-or-death role in the ACTH hypersecretion syndrome present in both 129 nulls.