In vitro biosynthesis of fish islet preprosomatostatin: evidence of processing and segregation of a high molecular weight precursor.

Abstract

Evidence is presented for a precursor to somatostatin that is 10-12 times larger than the authentic secreted hormone. mRNA from angler fish (Lophius americanus) islets of Langerhans was translated in the wheat germ cell-free system and the products were identified by immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies to somatostatin followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. One 18,000-dalton polypeptide was specifically immunoprecipitable. Competition experiments showed that authentic somatostatin competed with the 18,000-dalton molecule for antibody binding. When dog pancreas microsomal membranes were present during translation, an additional polypeptide of 16,000-daltons was also immunoprecipitable. Comparison of their tryptic peptides demonstrated that the 16,000-dalton polypeptide was derived from the 18,000-dalton one. Tryptic peptide analysis of somatostatin and the 18,000-dalton precursor demonstrated that the 18,000-dalton polypeptide contains the authentic somatostatin amino acid sequence and suggests that it is located at the carboxyl terminus of the precursor molecule and is preceded by a basic amino acid.