Influence of the peptide-chain length on disulphide-bond formation in neurohypophysial hormones and analogues.

(8-Arginine)vasopressin, (8-arginine)vasotocin, oxytocin and oxypressin, the 'ring' derivatives pressinamide and tocinamide, and the extended-chain analogues Pro-Arg-Val-(8-arginine)vasopressin and (8-arginine)vasopressinoyl-Ala-Met-Ala-NH(2), were synthesized by the solid-phase method and purified by sequential gel filtration on Sephadex G-15 in 50% acetic acid and 0.2M-acetic acid. Controlled oxidation of the thiol groups of the reduced peptides obtained after deprotection with sodium in liquid ammonia gave rise to products that depended on the length of the peptide chain: (i) nonapeptides gave monomer and dimer species, (ii) hexapeptides produced mixtures containing higher polymers, and (iii) dodecapeptides gave predominantly monomer with some dimerized material. The evidence suggests that the presence of the acyclic tail tripeptide in the nonapeptide hormones induces a conformation in the preceding hexapeptide that favours the formation of an intramolecular disulphide bond. For (8-arginine)vasopressin, intramolecular disulphide-bond formation is enhanced by extension of the peptide chain from either the N- or the C-terminus. The possible significance of these studies to neurohypophysial hormone-prohormone relationships is discussed.