IS THE VASOACTIVE INTESTINAL PEPTIDE (VIP) A PRO-HORMONE

The possibility that the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a prohormone, which through enzymic fragmentation gives rise to shorter chains with, yet unknown, hormonal activities is suggested by the occurrence of two pairs of adjoining basic residues in its sequence. (A similar pattern can be recognized in proinsulin.) Synthesis of one of the hormone-candidates, l-pyroglutamyl-l-methionyl-l-alanyl-l-valyl-l-lysyl-l-lysyl-l-tyrosyl-l-leucyl-l-asparaginyl-l-seryl-l- valyl-l-leucyl-l-threoninamide corresponding to the C-terminal 13-peptide sequences of chicken VIP is reported. © 1979.