The distribution of chromogranin A and related peptides in rat tissues was investigated using sequence specific antisera. N- and C-terminal antisera and a presumptive C-terminal rat pancreastatin antiserum immunostained an extensive neuroendocrine cell population throughout the gastro-entero-pancreatic tract, anterior pituitary, thyroid and all adrenomedullary cells. However, mid- to C-terminal antisera immunostained a subpopulation of chromogranin A positive cells. Most notable of these was with the KELTAE antiserum (R635.1) which immunostained discrete clusters of adrenomedullary cells and antiserum A87A which immunostained a subpopulation of cells in the anterior pituitary and throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The present study has demonstrated the widespread occurrence of chromogranin A and related peptides in rat neuroendocrine tissues and provides evidence of tissue and cell specific processing.

The post-translational processing of chromogranin A (CGA) and the nature of the enzyme(s) involved were investigated in rat pancreatic islet and insulinoma tissue. Pulse-chase radiolabelling experiments using sequence-specific antisera showed that the 98 kDa (determined by SDS/PAGE) precursor was processed to an N-terminal 21 kDa peptide, a C-terminal 14 kDa peptide and a 45 kDa centrally located peptide with a rapid time course (t1/2 approx. 30 min) after an initial delay of 30-60 min. The 45 kDa peptide was, in turn, converted partially into a 5 kDa peptide with pancreastatin immunoreactivity and a 3 kDa peptide with WE-14 immunoreactivity over a longer time period. Incubation of bovine CGA with rat insulinoma secretory-granule lysate produced peptides of 18, 16 and 40 kDa via intermediates of 65 and 55 kDa. N-terminal sequence analysis indicated that cleavage occurred at the conserved paired basic sites Lys114-Arg115 and Lys330-Arg331, suggesting that cleavage of the equivalent sites (Lys129-Arg130 and Lys357-Arg358) in the rat molecule produced the initial post-translational products observed in intact pancreatic beta-cells. The enzyme activity responsible for the cleavage of bovine CGA co-chromatographed on DEAE-cellulose with the type-2 proinsulin endopeptidase and with PC2 immunoreactivity. The type-1 enzyme (PC1/3) appeared inactive towards CGA. The requirement for Ca2+ ions and an acidic pH for conversion was consistent with the involvement of a member of the eukaryote subtilisin family, and the composition of the released peptides in pulse-chase and secretion studies suggested that conversion occurred in the secretory-granule compartment. The overall catalytic rate as well as the relative susceptibilities of the Lys114-Arg115 and Lys330-Arg331 sites to cleavage were affected by pH, suggesting that the ionic environment of the processing compartment may play a role in the differential processing of CGA which is evident in various neuroendocrine cells.

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Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is an APUDoma (APUD refers to amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation) arising from the parafollicular cells. Diarrhoea has been reported in some 30% of patients, variously attributed to excess production of calcitonin (CT), serotonin (5-HT), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) or other factors. The regulatory factors in MTC were examined employing immunocytochemistry and RIA to tumours and their extracts. The patients were followed up for more than 15 years. CT and calcitonin gene-related peptide were universally expressed in all the tumours. The neuroendocrine markers chromogranin A (and its fragments pancreastatin and WE-14), neurone-specific enolase, protein gene product 9.5 and carcino-embryonic antigen were found in the majority of MTCs and might be useful as immunocytochemical markers. 5-HT, substance P, neurokinin A, glucagon and VIP could not be detected, excluding them as candidates in the diarrhoea of MTC.

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