PRIMARY STRUCTURE AND BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITY OF HEMOGLOBIN-RELATED HYPOTHALAMIC PEPTIDES

Five individual fractions from bovine hypothalamic extract, displaying coronary constrictory activity, were isolated and sequenced. All of t hem belong to the hemorphin group of hemoglobin-derived peptides. Thes e peptides bind calmodulin and activate calmodulin-dependent enzymes. The relationship of isolated peptides with other members of the hemorp hin group is discussed. Several new fragments of hemoglobin alpha- and beta-chains with yet unidentified activity were obtained from the sam e source. Their amino acid sequences have considerable overlap with th e known sequences of hemoglobin fragments isolated from other tissues. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.