Aminopeptidase activity in rat brain synaptosomes - 2-mercaptoethanol stimulation and Arg-vasopressin degradation

Rat brain synaptic plasma membranes contain an amastatin-inhibited aminopeptidase activity which degrades Arg-vaso-pressin (AVP). The pH optimum for AVP cleavage was found to be 6.8, similar to that reported for oxytocin. The ability of other peptides and arylamides such as oxytocin, Tyr-Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2 and Arg-Arg-βNA to inhibit cleavage of [3H-Tyr2]-AVP suggests that the enzyme may not be specific for AVP. The AVP-cleaving activity has been solubilized and partially characterized. Synaptosomes were lysed with hypotonic buffer, washed, and extracted with 1% Nonidet P-40 detergent. The solubilized protein was chromatographed by gel filtration HPLC on Superose 6. A single peak of activity was found with a M.W. = 117,000 which could hydrolyze 1mM Ala-βNA, Arg-βNA, Arg-Arg-βNA, Phe-Met and Phe-Arg as well as slowly cleave AVP with the ultimate release of 3H-Tyr. 2-Mercaptoethanol (3.9mM) (ME) stimulated activity 3.6 to 6.6-fold for arylamide and dipeptide substrates, but 35-fold for labelled AVP, possibly owing to reduction of the AVP disulfide bond. All activities in the presence of ME were completely inhibited by 0.2mM amastatin