Abstract
We have shown that carboxy-peptidase destroys the biological activity of angiotensin octa-and deca-peptides. Since Proline occurs as the seventh amino acid from the amino end of the chain and since carboxypeptidase does not cleave proline from a peptid chain, it is evident that the heptapeptid H.asp-arg-val-tyr-ileu-his-pro.OH is formed by this hydrolysis. This peptide must then be biologically inactive. In order to determine whether the phenyl group of the C-terminal amino acid was the necessary requirement for biological activity of the octapeptide, $ala^8$ angiotensin octapeptide(amino acids of peptides numbered from amino end) was synthesized. For this synthesis the four dipeptides were prepared: carbobenzoxy-L-prolyl-L-alanine-P-nitrobenzyl-ester, m.p. $134-135^{\circ}C,$ carbobenzoxy-L-isoleucyl-imidazole benzyl-L-histidine methyl ester, m.p. $114-116^{\circ}C,$ carbobenzoxy-L-valyl-L-tyrosine hydrazide and carbobenzoxy B-benzyl-L-aspartyl-nitro-L-arginine. The first three dipeptides were obtained as crystalline compounds. Imidazole-benzyl-L-histidine was used in the hope that it would block the histidine imidazole against side reactions in steps subsequent to the formation of the C-terminal tetrapeptide. Also, it was through that the imidazole benzylated peptides would be easier to crystallize. This, however, was not the case. The tetrapeptide, carbobenzoxy-L-isoleucyl-L-im, benzyl-histidyl, L-prolyl-L-alanine-nitrobenzyl ester was not obtained in a crystalline form. Neither could the mono-or dihydrobromide of the tetrapeptide free base be induced to crystallize. Carbobenzoxy-L-valyl-L-tyrosine azide was condensed with the tetrapeptide free base to yield the protected hexapeptide; carbobenzoxy-L-valyl-L-tyrosyl-L-isoleucyl-L-im, benzyl, histidyl-L-Prolyl-L-alanine-nitrobenzyl ester. Upon removal of the carbobenzoxy group with hydrogen bromide in acetic acid an amorphous free base hexapeptide ester was obtained. This compound gave the correct C, H, N analysis and contained the six amino acids in the correct ratio. The octapeptide was obtained by condensing this hexapeptide with carbobenzoxy-B-benzyl-L-aspartyl-nitro, L-arginine using the mixed anhydride method of condensation. This amorphous product was proven to be homogenous by chromatography in two solvent systems and upon hydrolysis yielded the eight amino acids in correct ratio. The five protecting groups were removed from the octapeptide by hydrogenolysis over palladium black catalyst. Biological assay of the free peptide indicated that it possessed less than 0.1 per cent of both pressor and oxytocic activity of the phenylalanine8 angiotensin. This suggests that the phenyl group is a point of attachment between angiotensin and its biological receptor site.