Post-translational processing of thyrotropin-releasing hormone precursor in rat brain: identification of 3 novel peptides derived from proTRH.

The sequence of rat hypothalamic pro-thyrotropin releasing hormone, deduced by sequencing of cDNA, in addition to 5 TRH progenitor sequences contains leader, trailer and 4 intervening sequences separated by paired basic amino acid sequences. We have developed radioimmunoassays to synthetic peptides corresponding to portions of these cryptic proTRH sequences and have used these assays to identify and partially characterize proTRH peptides, distinct from TRH, in extracts of rat brain. Two of these peptides correspond closely in size to one intervening sequence and the carboxy-terminal sequence of proTRH. Three other peptides correspond to the intact amino-terminal leader sequence and two peptides formed by a further cleavage of the leader sequence at an internal paired basic amino acid sequence.