Takahiro Sato

Structure, regulation and function of ghrelin

Ghrelin is a stomach hormone that acts as an endogenous ligand of orphan G-protein-coupled receptor. Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide existing in two major forms: n-octanoyl-modified ghrelin, which possesses an n-octanoyl modification on serine-3 and des-acyl ghrelin. Fatty acid modification of ghrelin is essential for ghrelin-induced growth hormone release from the pituitary and appetite stimulation. This acyl-modification of ghrelin is catalysed by ghrelin-O-acyl transferase recently identified. Despite the number of innovative advancements in this field of research, there are still many aspects of ghrelin function and biosynthesis process that remain to be clarified. Here, we review the current understanding of the structure, regulation and function of ghrelin; this review is intended for researchers who will be involved in this field in the future.

Ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) has a preference for n-hexanoyl-CoA over n-octanoyl-CoA as an acyl donor

Ghrelin is a peptide hormone in which serine 3 is modified by n-octanoic acid through GOAT (ghrelin O-acyltransferase). However, the enzymological properties of GOAT remain to be elucidated. We analyzed the in vitro activity of GOAT using the recombinant enzyme. Unexpectedly, although the main active form of ghrelin is modified by n-octanoic acid, GOAT had a strong preference for n-hexanoyl-CoA over n-octanoyl-CoA as an acyl donor. Moreover, a four-amino acid peptide derived from the N-terminal sequence of ghrelin can be modified by GOAT, indicating that these four amino acids constitute the core motif for substrate recognition by the enzyme.

The neuropeptide neuromedin U promotes inflammation by direct activation of mast cells

Neuromedin U (NMU) is a neuropeptide that is expressed in the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. NMU interacts with two G protein–coupled receptors, NMU-R1 and NMU-R2. Whereas NMU-R2 localizes predominantly to nerve cells, NMU-R1 is expressed in peripheral tissues including lymphocytes and monocytes, suggesting a role of NMU in immunoregulation. However, the functions of NMU in peripheral tissues have not been clarified. In this study, using NMU-deficient mice, we first demonstrated that NMU plays an important role in mast cell-mediated inflammation. Complete Freunds adjuvant-induced mast cell degranulation as well as edema and neutrophil infiltration, which occurred weakly in mast cell–deficient WBB6F1-W/W v mice, did not occur in NMU-deficient mice. Moreover, intraplantar injection of NMU into paws induced early inflammatory responses such as mast cell degranulation, vasodilation, and plasma extravasation in WT mice but not in WBB6F1-W/W v mice. NMU-R1 was highly expressed in primary mast cells, and NMU induced Ca2+ mobilization and degranulation in peritoneal mast cells. These data indicate that NMU promotes mast cell–mediated inflammation; therefore, NMU receptor antagonists could be a novel target for pharmacological inhibition of mast cell–mediated inflammatory diseases.

Production of n-octanoyl-modified ghrelin in cultured cells requires prohormone processing protease and ghrelin O-acyltransferase, as well as n-octanoic acid.

Ghrelin was originally isolated from rat stomach as an endogenous ligand for the GH secretagogue receptor. The major active form of ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide modified by an n-octanoic acid on the serine 3 residue, and this lipid modification is essential for the biological activity of ghrelin. However, it is not clear whether prohormone convertase (PC) and ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) are the minimal requirements for synthesis of acyl-modified ghrelin in cultured cells. By using three cultured cell lines, TT, AtT20 and COS-7, in which the expression levels of processing proteases and GOAT vary, we examined the processing patterns of ghrelin precursor. We found that not only PC1/3 but also both PC2 and furin could process proghrelin to the 28-amino acid ghrelin. Moreover, the presence of PC and GOAT in the cells, as well as n-octanoic acid in the culture medium, was necessary to produce n-octanoyl ghrelin.

Thromboxane A2, released by the anti- tumour drug irinotecan, is a novel stimulator of Cl− secretion in isolated rat colon

1 A camptothecin derivative, irinotecan (Cpt‐11), is a topoisomerase I inhibitor and has a strong activity against a broad range of human cancer. One of the side‐effects of this drug is diarrhoea. Here, we tried to determine the mediator of the irinotecan‐induced Cl− secretion which may underlie this diarrhoea, using isolated mucosae of rat distal colon. 2 Irinotecan increased Cl− secretory current in a concentration‐dependent manner across the mucosa, set between Ussing chambers. Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) has not been reported to date as a physiological stimulant of Cl− secretion in the distal colon. However, the major part of the present irinotecan‐induced current was inhibited by selective thromboxane A2 receptor antagonists (KW‐3635 and ONO‐3708), and a selective thromboxane synthase inhibitor (Y‐20811). In fact, we found that irinotecan stimulated the release of TXA2 in a concentration‐dependent manner from the isolated mucosa into the bathing solutions. 3 Furthermore, 9,11‐epithio‐11,12‐methano‐thromboxane A2 (STA2), a stable analogue of TXA2, induced Cl− secretion, which was almost completely inhibited by the TXA2 receptor antagonists. 4 In single cells of isolated crypts, STA2 depolarized the cell and increased the membrane conductance, indicating that STA2 opened the apical Cl− channel of the crypt cells. 5 We conclude, therefore, that the irinotecan‐induced endogenous TXA2 is a novel stimulant of the Cl− secretion from the crypt cells of distal colon.

Structure of mammalian and nonmammalian ghrelins.

The discovery of ghrelin has elucidated the role of the stomach as an important organ in the regulation of growth hormone (GH) release and energy homeostasis. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone in which Ser3 Thr3 in frogs) is modified by an n-octanoic acid; this modification is essential for ghrelins activity. Ghrelin and motilin, another gastric peptide, structurally and functionally define a peptide superfamily; these two factors may have evolved from a common ancestral peptide. Ghrelin is found in both mammalian species as well as nonmammalian species, such as frogs, birds, and fish. Moreover, ghrelin structure, particularly that of the acyl-modification regions, is highly conserved throughout vertebrate species. All of the ghrelin peptides that have been identified are modified by a fatty acid, primarily n-octanoic acid. These discoveries implicate ghrelin as an essential hormone in the maintenance of GH release and energy homeostasis in vertebrates.

Identification of the novel bioactive peptides dRYamide-1 and dRYamide-2, ligands for a neuropeptide Y-like receptor in Drosophila

A number of bioactive peptides are involved in regulating a wide range of animal behaviors, including food consumption. Vertebrate neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a potent stimulator of appetitive behavior. Recently, Drosophila neuropeptide F (dNPF) and short NPF (sNPF), the Drosophila homologs of the vertebrate NPY, were identified to characterize the functions of NPFs in the feeding behaviors of this insect. Dm-NPFR1 and NPFR76F are the receptors for dNPF and sNPF, respectively; both receptors are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Another GPCR (CG5811; NepYR) was indentified in Drosophila as a neuropeptide Y-like receptor. Here, we identified 2 ligands of CG5811, dRYamide-1 and dRYamide-2. Both peptides are derived from the same precursor (CG40733) and have no significant structural similarities to known bioactive peptides. The C-terminal sequence RYamide of dRYamides is identical to that of NPY family peptides; on the other hand, dNPF and sNPF have C-terminal RFamide. When administered to blowflies, dRYamide-1 suppressed feeding motivation. We propose that dRYamides are related to the NPY family in vertebrates, similar to dNPF and sNPF.

Ghrelin deficiency does not influence feeding performance

Ghrelin is an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor that is synthesized predominantly in the stomach. Previous studies demonstrated that ghrelin stimulates growth hormone release and food intake. These data suggested that antagonism of ghrelin could serve as a useful treatment for eating disorders and obesity. To study the role of endogenous ghrelin in feeding performance further, we generated ghrelin-deficient (ghrl(-/-)) mice. Unexpectedly, ghrl(-/-) mice exhibited normal growth, cumulative food intake, reproduction, histological characters, and serum parameters. There were no differences in feeding patterns between ghrl(+/+) and ghrl(-/-) mice. Ghrl(-/-) mice displayed normal responses to scheduled feedings as seen for ghrl(+/+) mice. Memory-related feeding performances of ghrl(-/-) mice were indistinguishable from ghrl(+/+) littermates. These data indicate that ghrelin is not critical for feeding performance.

Isolation of the bioactive peptides CCHamide-1 and CCHamide-2 from Drosophila and their putative role in appetite regulation as ligands for G protein-coupled receptors

There are many orphan G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for which ligands have not yet been identified. One such GPCR is the bombesin receptor subtype 3 (BRS-3). BRS-3 plays a role in the onset of diabetes and obesity. GPCRs in invertebrates are similar to those in vertebrates. Two Drosophila GPCRs (CG30106 and CG14593) belong to the BRS-3 phylogenetic subgroup. Here, we succeeded to biochemically purify the endogenous ligands of Drosophila CG30106 and CG14593 from whole Drosophila homogenates using functional assays with the reverse pharmacological technique, and identified their primary amino acid sequences. The purified ligands had been termed CCHamide-1 and CCHamide-2, although structurally identical to the peptides recently predicted from the genomic sequence searching. In addition, our biochemical characterization demonstrated two N-terminal extended forms of CCHamide-2. When administered to blowflies, CCHamide-2 increased their feeding motivation. Our results demonstrated these peptides actually present as the major components to activate these receptors in living Drosophila. Studies on the effects of CCHamides will facilitate the search for BRS-3 ligands.

Regulation of gonadotropin secretion and puberty onset by neuromedin U

Neuromedin U (NMU), an anorexigenic peptide, was originally isolated from porcine spinal cord in 1985. As NMU is abundant in the anterior pituitary gland, we investigated the effects of NMU on gonadotropin secretion. Both NMU and its receptors, NMUR1 and NMUR2, were expressed in the pituitary gland. NMU suppressed LH and FSH releases from rat anterior pituitary cells. Moreover, NMU‐deficient mice exhibit an early onset of vaginal opening. The LHβ/FSHβ ratio, which is an index of puberty onset, is high in young NMU‐deficient mice. These results indicate that NMU suppresses gonadotropin secretion and regulates the onset of puberty.