CCK-5: sequence analysis of a small cholecystokinin from canine brain and intestine

The purpose of this study is to purify and to characterize chemically cholecystokinin (CCK)-like peptides present in brain and gut extracts that elute from gel filtration after the octapeptide. Canine small intestinal mucosa and brain were boiled in water and then extracted in cold trifluoroacetic acid, and cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity was determined by carboxyl-terminal specific radioimmunoassay. Gel permeation chromatography on Sephadex G-50 revealed a form of CCK apparently smaller than CCK-8. This peptide was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography and three successive reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography steps. Microsequence analysis showed that the amino terminal primary sequence of this small CCK was Gly-Trp-Met-Asp. Immunochemical and chromatographic analysis indicated that the carboxyl-terminal residue was Phe-NH2 and thus the full sequence is Gly-Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2. An antibody that recognizes synthetic CCK-8, CCK-5, and CCK-4 equally did not reveal the presence of significant amounts of CCK-4. These results indicate that CCK-5 is the major CCK form smaller than the octapeptide present in brain (19% of total CCK immunoreactivity) and small intestine (7% of total). This finding, coupled with the demonstration by others that CCK-5 interacts with high-affinity brain CCK receptors, indicates that CCK-5 may play a physiological role in brain function.