Identification and characterization of a novel human cortistatin-like peptide

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1997 Mar 6;232(1):157-63. doi: 10.1006/bbrc.1997.6252.

Abstract

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) that showed significant homology to rat cortistatin (CST) were found in a human fetal brain cDNA library. A protein coded by the cDNA showed 55% identity to rat preprocortistatin in amino acid. Similarly in the generation of mature peptides from rat preprocortistatin, it was expected that cleavage at dibasic amino acids in the C-terminal portion of the coded protein might produce at least two different sizes of mature peptides with 29 and 17 amino acid residues, respectively. We chemically synthesized the predicted mature peptide with 17 amino acid residues (hCS-17) and examined its biological activities. It bound to all human somatostatin receptor (SSTR) subtypes in almost the same manner as rat CST-14. It also inhibited cAMP production induced by forskolin through SSTRs. Administration of hCS-17 to the cerebral ventricle showed flattening of cortical and hippocampal electroencephalograms in rats. These results indicate that a bioactive peptide encoded by the cDNA is a human counterpart corresponding to rat CST.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology
  • Cyclic AMP / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cyclic AMP / biosynthesis
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Electroencephalography
  • Electromyography
  • Hippocampus / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neuropeptides / genetics*
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, Somatostatin / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • CORT protein, human
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Neuropeptides
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Somatostatin
  • cortistatin
  • Cyclic AMP

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB000263