Neurohypophysial peptide potencies in cultured anuran epithelia (A6)

To characterize the V2 receptor (for antidiuretic hormone), we have studied the effect of a number of neurohypophysial hormone analogues on cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation and short-circuit current in cultured epithelia formed by A6 cells. A6 is the designation of a continuous cell line derived from the kidney of Xenopus laevis. The order of potency for stimulating cAMP accumulation and short-circuit current in A6 epithelia is like that for stimulating water permeability in toad urinary bladder. As anticipated, arginine vasotocin (AVT), the antidiuretic hormone of Amphibia, is more potent than arginine vasopressin (AVP), the antidiuretic hormone of most mammals. The two hormones differ only in the third amino acid (Phe-3 in AVP is a substitution for Ile-3 in AVT). However, there are a number of striking differences in the responsiveness of these amphibian V2 receptors and mammalian V2 receptors to changes in the 7th, 8th, and 9th amino acids where AVT and AVP are identical. 1) Substitution of Lys-8 for Arg-8 in AVP results in marked loss of potency in Amphibia, whereas there is only modest loss of potency in mammals. 2) Desglycinamide AVP is nearly as potent as AVP in Amphibia, whereas it is inactive in mammals. 2) Tocinoic acid, lacking amino acids 7, 8, and 9, has activity in Amphibia, but pressinoic acid, lacking the same three amino acids, is inactive.