cDNA cloning of bradykinin-potentiating peptides-C-type natriuretic peptide precursor, and characterization of the novel peptide Leu3-blomhotin from the venom of Agkistrodon blomhoffi.

A cDNA clone, 1.8 kb long, was isolated from a venom gland cDNA library of Agkistrodon blomhoffi that encodes a large plurifunctional precursor composed of 263 amino-acid residues. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this clone revealed that sequences which code for blomhotin and a novel peptide Leu3-blomhotin are located in the N-terminal region of the precursor polypeptide, followed by four tandemly aligned sequences which code for three types of bradykinin-potentiating peptide. In the C-terminal region, the sequence for the C-type natriuretic peptide was located along with a preceding processing signal. The deduced amino-acid sequences for the four bradykinin-potentiating peptides coincided exactly with previously known sequences for potentiator B, potentiator C and potentiator E. The actual Leu3-blomhotin peptide was subsequently isolated from the venom of A. blomhoffi and characterized. Leu3-blomhotin possesses contractile activity in isolated rat stomach fundus smooth muscle in the same manner as blomhotin. Furthermore, it was shown that blomhotin and Leu3-blomhotin retained activity to inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme.