Met-Lys-bradykinin-Ser, the kinin released from human kininogen by human pepsin

This study was carried out to show the site in kininogen, using synthetic substrates, that is cleaved by a purified human pepsin component with a molecular weight of 35,000 daltons. The study used 4 (four) intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic substrates containing N- and C-terminal sequences around the methionyl-lysyl-bradykinin (MLBK) region of kininogen: Abz-LMKRP-Eddnp, Abz-MISLMKRP-Eddnp, Abz-FRSSR-Eddnp and Abz-RPPGFSPFRSSRQ-Eddnp. The hydrolysis on N-terminal sequences Abz-LMKRP-Eddnp and Abz-MISLMKRP-EDDnp occurred at L-M linkage and on C-terminal sequences Abz-FRSSR-Eddnp, and Abz-RPPGFSPFRSSRQ-Eddnp occurred at S-S linkage. The released peptide Abz-RPPGFSPFRS was able to contract rat uterus muscle. The results suggest that Met-Lys-Bradykinin-Ser, should be the peptide released from human kininogen by a purified human pepsin component.