Synthesis of atrial natriuretic peptides and studies on structural factors in tissue specificity.

Two atrial natriuretic peptides, containing 25 amino acid residues, ANF IV, and 21 amino acid residues, ANF V, were synthesized by a solid phase method and oxidized with K3Fe(CN)6 to form a disulfide bridge. Synthetic ANF IV exhibited a natriuretic activity with an ED50 70 times higher than that of synthetic ANF V, whereas the longer peptide was only 2.5 times more potent in chick rectal smooth muscle relaxant activity. Both peptides inhibited norepinephrine-induced contraction of rabbit aorta. The shorter peptide, ANF V, was 300 times less efficient than the longer peptide, ANF IV. It is proposed that the carboxy-terminal of ANF IV seems to have a modulating effect on receptor affinity in kidney and vascular tissue.