The Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Joachim Spiess

Jean E Rivier

Wylie W Vale, Jr

Joan Vaughan

Ronald Mark Evans

Nicholas C Ling

Catherine L Rivier

Michael G Rosenfeld

Frederick S Esch

Roger C Guillemin

Shao-Yao Ying

Nancy M Sherwood

Michael J Brownstein

Kelly E Mayo

Gail Cerelli

Bryan D Noe

Anne Corrigan

C Wayne Bardin

Richard A McClintock

Lee E Eiden

A dimeric protein with inhibin activity is isolated from ram reta testis fluid using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and gel filtration. The isolated molecule is composed of two chains having apparent molecular weights of about 18,000 and about 16,500 to 14,500 Daltons, as measured by gel electrophoresis, which are bound together by disulfide bonding and the longer of which is likely glycosylated. Microsequencing revealed the NH.sub.2 -terminal portion of the longer chain to be Ser- Thr-Pro-Pro-Leu-Pro-Trp-Pro-Trp-Ser-Pro-Ala-Ala-Leu-Arg-Leu-Gln-Arg-Pro-Pr o- Glu-Glu-Pro-Ala-Ala-His-Ala-Asp-Cys and of the shorther chain to by Gly-Leu-Glu-Cys-Asp-Gly-Lys-Val-Asn-Ile-Cys-Cys-Lys-Lys-Gln-Phe. This dimeric protein specifically inhibits basal secretion of FSH, but not of LH, in a rat anterior pituitary monolayer culture system, exhibiting a half-maximal effective dose of about 0.1 to 0.3 ng/ml. Furthermore, antibodies raised against synthetic replicates of the N-terminal six residues of the longer chain, as well as against the N-terminal 25 residues, are effective to reduce the activity of highly purified intact ovine inhibin and might be used to exert a profertility effect in rams, ewes and other mammals.

Ovine inhibin

A 28,000-dalton protein with FSH-releasing activity is isolated from porcine follicular fluid in a multi-step procedure including gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography and several reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography steps. The 28 kD protein promotes secretion of FSH, but not of LH, in a rat anterior pituitary monolayer culture system, exhibiting an EC.sub.50 of 0.5 ng/ml. These peptides are dimers of inhibin .beta.-chains of mammals, and homodimers or heterodimers of the .beta..sub.A and .beta..sub.B chains are biologically active to regulate fertility of various mammalian species, including humans.

FSH-releasing peptides

A 32,000-Dalton protein with inhibin activity is isolated from porcine follicular fluid which is composed of two chains having molecular weights of about 18,000 and about 14,000 Daltons, which are bound together by disulfide bonding. Microsequencing revealed the NH.sub.2 -terminal portion of the 18 kD chain to be Ser-Thr-Ala-Pro-Leu-Pro-Trp-Pro-Trp-Ser-Pro-Ala-Ala-Leu-Arg-Leu-Leu-Gln-Ar g- Pro-Pro-Glu-Glu-Pro-Ala-Val and of the 14 kD chain to be Gly-Leu-Glu-Cys with the next 21 residues believed to be Asp-Gly-Ser-His-Asn-Leu-Asp-Ser-Arg-Gln-Gln-Phe-Phe-Ile-Asp-Phe-Arg-Leu-Il e-G y-Trp. This 32 kD protein specifically inhibits basal secretion of FSH, but not of LH. Antibodies raised against a synthetic replicate of the N-terminal six residues of the 18 kD chain are effective to reduce the activity of highly purified 32 kD inhibin and may be administered to mammalian animals for the purpose of neutralizing endogenous inhibin and thereby increasing gonadotropin secretion. The antibodies are also useful in immunoassays to determine inhibin levels in mammalian fluids. To generate the antibodies, short chain peptides are synthesized which mimic portions of natural mammalian inhibin protein chains, the synthetic peptides are conjugated to large carrier molecules and the conjugates are used as inoculum to induce a mammalian immune system to produce inhibin-reactive antibodies.

Antibodies to inhibin and conjugates produced therefrom

The invention provides peptides which are particularly potent in stimulating the release of pituitary GH in fish and amphibians and which have a substantial portion or all of the following sequence: His-Ala-Asp-Gly-R.sub.5 -Phe-Asn-Lys-Ala-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Ala-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu- Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Tyr-Leu-His-Thr-Leu-R.sub.27 -R.sub.28 -R.sub.29 -R.sub.30 -R.sub.31 -Gly-R.sub.33 -R.sub.34 -R.sub.35 -R.sub.36 -R.sub.37 - R.sub.38 -R.sub.39 -R.sub.40 -R.sub.41 -R.sub.42 -R.sub.43 -R.sub.44 -Ser wherein R.sub.5 is Met, Leu, Val, Nva, Gln, Thr, Ile or Nle; R.sub.27 is Met, Leu, Val, Nva, Gln, Thr, Ile or Nle; R.sub.28 is Ala, Ser or Asn; R.sub.29 is Lys or Arg; R.sub.30 is Arg or Gln; R.sub.31 is Val or Gln; R.sub.33 is Gly or Glu; R.sub.34 is Gly, Arg or Ser; R.sub.35 is Ser or Asn; R.sub.36 is Met, Leu, Val, Nva, Gln, Thr, Ile or Nle; R.sub.37 is Ile or Glu; R.sub.38 is Glu, Gln or Arg; R.sub.39 is Asp, Arg or Gly; R.sub.40 is Asp, Ser or Ala; R.sub.41 is Asn, Arg or Lys; R.sub.42 is Glu, Phe, Ala or Val; R.sub.43 is Pro, Asn or Arg; R.sub.44 is Leu or Ala. A sequence beginning at the C-terminus and extending part way or all the way to residue R.sub.27 may be deleted; a 29-residue peptide beginning at the N-terminus may be preferred. These peptides, as well as their nontoxic salts, are considered to be particularly useful in agriculture.

GRF analogs V

Anglerfish somatostatin-28 has the formula: ##STR1## Anglerfish somatostation-28 is insulin-selective when administered in vivo and is useful for the treatment of insulinoma. The 14-residue C-terminal peptide may also be used.

Insulin-selective somatostatin analogs

Proteins with inhibin activity having a weight of about 32,000 daltons. The molecule is composed of two chains having molecular weights of about 18,000 and about 14,000 daltons, respectively, which are bound together by disulfide bonding. The 18K chain is obtained from the human inhibin gene and has the formula: H-Ser-Thr-Pro-Leu-Met-Ser-Trp-Pro-Trp-Ser-Pro-Ser-Ala-Leu-Arg-Leu-Leu-Gln- Arg-Pro-Pro-Glu-Glu-Pro-Ala-Ala-His-Ala-Asn-Cys-His-Arg-Val-Ala-Leu-Asn-Ile -Ser-Phe-Gln-Glu-Leu-Gly-Trp-Glu-Arg-Trp-Ile-Val-Tyr-Pro-Pro-Ser-Phe-R.sub. 65 -Phe-His-Tyr-Cys-His-Gly-Gly-Cys-Gly-Leu-His-Ile-Pro-Pro-Asn-Leu-Ser-Leu-P ro-Val-Pro-Gly-Ala-Pro-Pro-Thr-Pro-Ala-Gln-Pro-Tyr-Ser-Leu-Leu-Pro-Gly-Ala- Gln-Pro-Cys-Cys-Ala-Ala-Leu-Pro-Gly-Thr-Met-Arg-Pro-Leu-His-Val-Arg-Thr-Thr -Ser-Asp-Gly-Gly-Tyr-Ser-P e-Lys-Tyr-Glu-Thr-Val-Pro-Asn-Leu-Leu-Thr-Gln-His-Cys-Ala-Cys-Ile-OH, wherein R.sub.65 is Ile or Arg. The 18K chain is connected by disulfide bonding to the 14K chain.

Human inhibin

Surprisingly active fragments of human pancreatic GRF have been synthesized which exhibit good biological activity. These synthetic peptides are extremely potent in stimulating the release of pituitary GH in humans and in nonhuman animals and have the general formula: H-Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser- Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-Y wherein Y is NH.sub.2, Gln-NH.sub.2, Gln-Gln-NH.sub.2 or Gln-Gln-Gly-NH.sub.2. Two such fragments have been tested, namely the 29 and the 32 N-terminal residue sequences that are amidated at the C-terminus. These peptides, as well as nontoxic salts thereof, may be administered therapeutically to animals, including humans.

Human pancreatic GRF amidated fragments

Synthetic peptides are provided which are extremely potent in stimulating the release of pituitary GH in animals and which have the formula: H--R.sub.1 --Ala--Asp--Ala--Ile--Phe--Thr--R.sub.8 --Ser--R.sub.10 --Arg--R.sub.12 --R.sub.13 --Leu--R.sub.15 --Gln--Leu--R.sub.18 --Ala--Arg--Lys--Leu--Leu--R.sub.24 --R.sub.25 --Ile--R.sub.27 --R.sub.28 --Arg--Gln--Gln--Gly--Glu--R.sub.34 --Asn--Gln--Glu--R.sub.38 --R.sub.39 --R.sub.40 --Arg--R.sub.42 --R.sub.43 --Leu--Y wherein R.sub.1 is Tyr, Met, Leu, D--Tyr, D--His or His; R.sub.8 is Ser or Asn; R.sub.10 is Tyr or D--Tyr; R.sub.12 is Arg or Lys; R.sub.13 is Ile or Val; R.sub.15 is Gly or D--Ala; R.sub.18 is Tyr or Ser; R.sub.24 is His or Gln; R.sub.25 is Glu or Asp; R.sub.27 is Met, Ala, Nle, Ile, Leu or Val; R.sub.28 is Asn or Ser; R.sub.34 is Arg or Ser; R.sub.38 is Gln or Arg; R.sub.39 is Arg or Gly; R.sub.40 is Ser or Ala; R.sub.42 is Phe or Ala; R.sub.43 is Asn or Arg; and Y represents the carboxyl moiety of the amino acid residue at the C-terminus and is the radical --COOR,--CRO,--CONHNHR, --CON(R)(R') or --CH.sub.2 OR, with R and R' being lower alkyl, fluoro lower alkyl or hydrogen, or a fragment thereof extending from the N-terminus in a continuous sequence at least to the residue in position 29, which fragment is biologically active to cause the release of GH from the pituitary, or a nontoxic salt of such peptide or peptide fragment. The peptides are analogs of human GRF and contain at least two but less than all of the following residues: R.sub.8 is Asn, R.sub.12 is Lys, R.sub.13 is Val, R.sub.18 is Ser, R.sub.24 is Gln, R.sub.25 is Asp, R.sub.28 is Ser.

Hypothalamic GRF agonists

Rat hypothalamic GRF has been synthesized and has the formula: H-His-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Ser-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Ile-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Tyr- Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-His-Glu-Ile-Met-Asn-Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-Arg-Asn-Gln-Glu -Gln-Arg-Ser-Arg-Phe-Asn-OH. The peptide is believed to be and is hereinafter referred to as rhGRF (for rat hypothalamic GH releasing factor). The invention provides synthetic peptides which are extremely potent in stimulating the release of pituitary GH in animals and which have the formula: H-R.sub.1 -Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-R.sub.8 -Ser-R.sub.10 -Arg-R.sub.12 -R.sub.13 -Leu-R.sub.15 -Gln-Leu-R.sub.18 -Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-R.sub.24 -R.sub.25 -Ile-R.sub.27 -R.sub.28 -Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-R.sub.34 -Asn-Gln-Glu-R.sub.38 -R.sub.39 -R.sub.40 -Arg-R.sub.42 -R.sub.43 -R.sub.44 -Y wherein R.sub.1 is Tyr, Met, D-Tyr, Leu, D-His or His; R.sub.8 is Ser or Asn; R.sub.10 is Tyr or D-Tyr; R.sub.12 is Arg or Lys; R.sub.13 is Ile or Val; R.sub.15 is Gly or D-Ala; R.sub.18 is Tyr or Ser; R.sub.24 is His or Gln; R.sub.25 is Glu or Asp; R.sub.27 is Met, Ala, Nle, Ile, Leu or Val; R.sub.28 is Asn or Ser; R.sub.34 is Arg or Ser; R.sub.38 is Gln or Arg; R.sub.39 is Arg or Gly; R.sub.40 is Ser or Ala; R.sub.42 is Phe or Ala; R.sub.43 is Asn or Arg; R.sub.44 is a natural amino acid or des-R.sub.44 ; and Y signifies the carboxyl moiety of the amino acid residue at the C-terminus and is the radical --COOR,--CRO,--CONHNHR,--CON(R)(R') or --CH.sub.2 OR, with R and R' being lower alkyl, fluoro lower alkyl or hydrogen. These peptides or biologically active fragments thereof, or analogs thereof having well-known substitutions and/or additions, as well as nontoxic salts of any of the foregoing, may be administered to animals, including humans, to stimulate the release of GH and may be used diagnostically.

Rat hypothalamic GRF

Human pancreatic GRF has been synthesized. The invention provides synthetic peptides which are extremely potent in stimulating the release of pituitary GH in mammals and which have the formula: H-Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-R.sub.15 -Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-S er-Asn-Gln-Glu-Arg-Gly-R.sub.40 -R.sub.41 -R.sub.42 -Y wherein R.sub.15 is Gly or D-Ala, R.sub.40 is Ala or des-R.sub.40, R.sub.41 is Phe or des-R.sub.41, R.sub.42 is des-R.sub.42 or 1 to 8 different amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of Gln, Gly, Ile, Leu, Lys, Pro, Thr and Val, and Y signifies the carboxyl moiety of the amino acid residue at the C-terminal and is the radical -COOR.sub.1,-CR.sub.1 O,-CONHNHR.sub.1,-CON(R.sub.1)(R.sub.2) or -CH.sub.2 OR.sub.1, with R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 being lower alkyl or hydrogen. These peptides or biologically active fragments thereof, or analogs thereof having well-known substitutions and/or additions, as well as nontoxic salts of any of the foregoing, may be administered therapeutically to animals, including humans, and may be used diagnostically.

Human pancreatic GRF

rCRF (rat Corticotropin Releasing Factor) has been isolated, characterized and found to have the formula: H-Ser-Glu-Glu-Pro-Pro-Ile-Ser-Leu-Asp-Leu-Thr-Phe-His-Leu-Leu-Arg-Glu-Val- Leu-Glu-Met-Ala-Arg-Ala-Glu-Gln-Leu-Ala-Gln-Gln-Ala-His-Ser-Asn-Arg-Lys-Leu -Met-Glu-Ile-Ile-NH.sub.2. Analogs are disclosed that are at least as potent as rCRF, and rCRF or these analogs orpharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable salts thereof, dispersed in a pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable liquid or solid carrier, can be administered to animals, including humans, to achieve a substantial elevation of ACTH, .beta.-endorphin, .beta.-lipotropin, other products of the pro-opiomelanocortin gene and corticosterone levels and/or a lowering of blood pressure over an extended period of time. They may also be used as stimulants to elevate mood and improve memory and learning, as well as diagnostically. In the analogs, one or more of the first three N-terminal residues may be deleted or may be substituted by a peptide up to 10 amino acids long and/or by an acylating agent containing up to 7 carbon atoms. A number of other substitutions may also be made throughout the chain.

rCRF and analogs

The peptide having the following formula has a potent effect on the reproduction processes of fish and is termed Fish GnRH:

Peptides affecting gonadal function

CRF (Corticotropin Releasing Factor) has the formula:

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Encinitas, CA, United States of America

Joachim Spiess