Differential association of endogenous proenkephalin-derived peptides with membranes of microsomes from rat striatum, adrenal medulla and heart ventricle

Abstract

ABSTRACT Proenkephalin-derived peptides, in common with other prohormones, are associated with membranes of microsomes and secretory granules in the bovine adrenal medulla. Post-translational processing of the precursor molecule varies depending upon the tissue. The relationship between post-translational events in different tissues was examined by studying the membrane association of endogenous proenkephalin-derived peptides in the crude microsomal fraction of rat adrenal medulla, brain striatum and heart ventricle. [Met]-Enkephalin and synenkephalin (proenkephalin(1–70)) immunoreactivities were quantified by radioimmunoassay after sequential enzymatic digestion with trypsin and carboxypeptidase B. Between 60 and 75% of total immunoreactive peptides present in intact microsomes of the three tissues were associated with membranes and specifically released with 2 m KSCN (pH 7·4). Analysis of the chromatographic profile of materials present in the soluble and associated fractions produced the following results. In the three tissues the materials associated with microsomal membranes corresponded to peptides larger than 3–5 kDa and displayed synenkephalin and [Met]-enkephalin immunoreactivity. Adrenal and heart microsomes showed a continuous pattern of membrane-associated proenkephalin-derived peptides of high, intermediate and low molecular weights containing the synenkephalin and [Met]-enkephalin sequences. These tissues, however, presented quantitative differences, as the highest concentrations belonged to materials larger and smaller than 12·5 kDa in adrenal and heart microsomes respectively. On the other hand, brain striatal microsomes displayed a discontinuous pattern of associated materials, with the absence of some products of high and intermediate molecular weight. Only in the soluble fraction of striatal microsomes were peptides detected of high and intermediate molecular weight containing the [Met]-enkephalin but not the synenkephalin sequence. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the association of proenkephalin-derived peptides with microsomal membranes is a common event in the adrenal medulla, heart ventricle and rat striatum, involving, in all cases, some portion of the C-terminal sequence of the synenkephalin molecule. These observations provide further evidence suggesting that the differential profiles of proenkephalin-derived peptides in the adrenal medulla and striatum may be related to differential post-translational processing instead of changes in processing rate.