Novel Tachykinin Peptides, Precursor Peptides Thereof And Genes Encoding The Same

Abstract

Tachykinin peptide isolated and purified from the posterior salivary gland Octopus vulgaris which is mollusc. The tachykinin peptide provides a new approach for developing medicaments and pesticides through studies on the structural activity correlation at the molecular level, is characterized by: (1) number of an amino acid resides is 12; (2) N terminal of the peptide is Lys; (3) an amino acid sequence of 5 amino acids from C terminal is represented by the following amino acid sequence (I), —Phe-Xaa-Gly-Leu-Met-NH 2   (I), (wherein, Xaa is Val, Ile, Phe or Tyr), especially following amino acid sequence (1) and (2) are provided: H-Lys-Pro-Pro-Ser-Ser-Ser-Glu-Phe-Val-Gly-Leu-Met-NH 2   (1) H-Lys-Pro-Pro-Ser-Ser-Ser-Glu-Phe-Ile-Gly-Leu-Met-NH 2   (2)

1 . A DNA encoding precursor polypeptide of tachykinin. 
     
     
         2 . A DNA having the base sequence represented by SEQ ID NO 4. 
     
     
         3 . A DNA hybridizing with the DNA according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         4 . A DNA hybridizing with a polynucleotide encoding any one of the amino acid sequences represented by SEQ ID NO 1, 2 or 3. 
     
     
         5 . A vector comprising the DNA according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         6 . A host cell transformed by the vector according to  claim 5 . 
     
     
         7 . A process for preparing a precursor polypeptide of tachykinin peptide comprising culturing or growing a host cell as claimed in  claim 6 , and recovering the precursor polypeptide of tachykinin peptide from said host cell or culture solution. 
     
     
         8 . A process for preparing a tachykinin peptide comprising processing precursor polypeptide of tachykinin peptide from the precursor polypeptide obtained by the method according to  claim 7 , and modifying C-terminal of said polypeptide.