Endopeptidase 24-16 in murines: tissue distribution, cerebral regionalization, and ontogeny.

The tissue distribution, cerebral regionalization, and ontogeny of endopeptidase 24-16 were established in murines by means of its quenched fluorimetric substrate, Mcc-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-D-Lys-Dnp, and its selective dipeptide blocker, Pro-Ile. Endopeptidase 24-16 was particularly abundant in the liver and kidney, and the lowest specific activity was detected in the heart. In the brain, a 16-fold difference in specific activity was observed between the poorest and the richest cerebral areas. Endopeptidase 24-16 appeared in high concentrations in the olfactory bulb and tubercule, cingulate cortex, medial striatum, and globus pallidus, and was particularly weak in the CA1, CA2, and CA3 parts of the hippocampal formation and in the cerebellum. Endopeptidase 24-16 content in thirteen thalamic nuclei indicated a rather homogeneous distribution. This homogeneity was not observed in the hypothalamus, where pronounced variations occurred between enriched zones such as suprachiasmatic and arcuate nuclei and relatively poor areas such as periventricular and supraoptic nuclei. Endopeptidase 24-16 appeared to be developmentally regulated in the mouse brain; it was already detected at the fetal stage, increased transiently after birth, then regularly declined until adulthood.