Biosynthesis of rat insulin-like growth factor II. II. Localization of mature rat insulin-like growth factor II (7484 daltons) to the amino terminus of the approximately 20-kilodalton biosynthetic precursor by radiosequence analysis.

In previous studies, we have identified possible biosynthetic precursors of rat insulin-like growth factor II (rIGF-II) using specific immunoprecipitation, approximately 22-kDa prepro-rIGF-II and 20-kDa pro-rIGF-II. We now provide chemical evidence that amino acid sequences corresponding to mature 7484-dalton rIGF-II are present at the NH2 terminus of the putative approximately 20-kDa pro-rIGF-II. BRL-3A cultures have been labeled individually with several radioactive amino acid precursors, the cells have been lysed, and the lysates have been immunoprecipitated with antiserum to rIGF-II. Following electrophoresis of the immunoprecipitated proteins, labeled approximately 20-kDa pro-rIGF-II was eluted from the gels and subjected to automated radiosequence analysis. Discrete peaks of radioactivity were observed in 12 of the first 30 cycles of Edman degradation. The deduced partial amino acid sequence was identical at each position with that of mature 7484-dalton rIGF-II. These results directly demonstrate that mature rIGF-II sequences are present in the approximately 20-kDa protein, as required if the approximately 20-kDa protein were pro-rIGF-II. In addition, they localize the 7484-dalton rIGF-II to the NH2 terminus of the precursor molecule. A second NH2-terminal sequence differing only in the absence of the NH2-terminal residue, alanine, also was present in an approximately equal amount. Similar NH2-terminal heterogeneity has been reported for 7484-dalton rIGF-II and most likely reflects ambiguity in the cleavage sites for the signal peptidase.