Role of methionine in the initiation of the biosynthesis of bovine proinsulin.

Abstract

Slices of fetal bovine pancreas were used to study the initiation of proinsulin biosynthesis. The pancreatic slices were incubated with radioactive methionine, phenylalanine, or leucine, in a defined medium. The incorporation of amino acid into peptides in the tissue slices was measured for 2–3 h. Two types of radioactive peptides, "free" and "blocked," were identified by ion-exchange chromatography. Most of the radioactive "blocked" peptides labelled with [3H]phenylalanine and [35S]methionine were hydrolyzed by proteases, except for about 20% of those labelled with [35S]methionine, which also showed higher resistance to acid hydrolysis.Microsomes were isolated from the tissue slices after incubation and were extracted with acid alcohol. The radioactive proteins in the extract were reacted with a solid immunosorbant against insulin. Analysis of the immunoadsorbed radioactive peptides by Edman degradation showed the presence of both methionine and phenylalanine as the N-termini. It was concluded that methionine was an initiating amino acid in the biosynthesis of bovine proinsulin.