Isolation and identification of the AKH III precursor-related peptide from Locusta migratoria

We have isolated an 8770Da peptide from extracts of corpora cardiaca of adult male and female Locusta migratoria. The N-terminal amino-acid sequence as partially established by Edman degradation is Ala-Leu-Gly-Ala-Pro-Ala-Ala-Gly-Asp. These nine amino acids correspond to the first nine N-terminal amino acids of the adipokinetic hormone precursor-related peptide gamma-chain (APRP-gamma), a peptide that is predicted from the gene encoding the adipokinetic hormone III precursor. The APRP-gamma chain has a monoisotopic mass of 4387Da and contains two cysteine residues. It is known that both AKH I and AKH II precursors occur as dimers. After processing they give rise to the active hormones and three dimeric (two homodimers and one heterodimer) adipokinetic hormone precursor related peptides (APRPs). Based on the mass of 8770Da and the established N-terminal sequence tag, we conclude that the isolated peptide is a homodimer consisting of two APRP-gamma units, covalently linked to each other by two disulphide bounds. In analogy with the previous identified APRPs (APRP-1, APRP-2, and APRP-3), this APRP will be designated as APRP-4.