Skin secretion of the toad Bombina variegata contains multiple insulin-releasing peptides including bombesin and entirely novel insulinotropic structures.

Skin secretions of the toad Bombina variegata were evaluated for the isolation and characterisation of insulinotropic peptides. Crude secretions obtained from young adult toads by mild electrical stimulation of the dorsal skin surface were purified by reverse phase HPLC yielding 44 peaks. In acute incubations with glucose-responsive BRIN-BD11 cells, peaks 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 showed a 1.5-3.5-fold increase in insulin release compared with 5.6 mM glucose alone (p<0.001; n=3). Structural analyses of the purified insulin-releasing peaks were performed by automated Edman degradation and mass spectrometry. Peptides represented by peaks 21, 22 and 23 had molecular masses of 1641.7 Da, 1662.6 Da and 1619.8 Da respectively. These peptides were unblocked by removal of pyroglutamic acid from the N-terminus prior to Edman degradation, revealing lengths of 14 amino acids. Peak 21 yielded a primary structure of Pyr-QRLGHQWAVGHLM, which a data base search revealed as an analogue of bombesin (His6 bombesin), while peak 23 was an exact match of bombesin (Pyr-QRLGNQWAVGHLM) originally isolated from Bombina bombina. Peak 22 indicated a primary structure of Pyr-DSFGNQWARGHFM (72% homology with bombesin). Peaks 24 and 25 revealed entirely novel insulinotropic peptides with molecular masses and primary structures of 1650.5 Da and 2300.0 Da and GKPFYPPPIYPEDM (GM-14) and IYNAICPCKHCNKCKPGLLAN (IN-21) respectively. Preliminary studies on the mechanisms underlying the insulinotropic actions of peaks 21, 22, 23 and 24 suggest possible involvement of a cAMP-dependent, G protein-insensitive pathway. These data indicate that Bombina variegata skin secretions contain peptides with insulin-releasing activity, which may have mammalian counterparts and prove useful for possible exploitation as antidiabetic agents from natural resources.