Nature of immunoreactive CCK in rat and pig brain

Two major classes of immunoreactive cholecystokinin peptides (iCCK) have been identified in rat and pig brains: (1) large basic peptides (Big iCCK) resembling pCCK33 in size and charge; (2) small acidic peptides (Small iCCK) resembling the COOH-terminal fragments of CCK. Boiling 0.1 N HCl maximally extracts Big iCCK; boiling 0.1 N NaOH maximally extracts Small iCCK. The differences in hormonal forms removed by these extractions are not likely to be due to enzymatic conversion during the extraction procedures. Fractionation on Sephadex G50 and starch gel electrophoresis combined with radioimmunoassay using 3 antisera of different specificities: (1) directed towards the NH2-terminus of pCCK33; (2) produced by immunization with CCK8; (3) produced by immunization with CCK4; are consistent with the hypothesis that a major fraction of Big iCCK may represent intact CCK with a COOH-terminus extension as has recently been suggested for gastrin, a molecule having a COOH-terminal pentapeptide identical with that of CCK.