The all-D-configuration segment containing the IKVAV sequence of laminin A chain has similar activities to the all-L-peptide in vitro and in vivo.

Laminin is a basement membrane glycoprotein that has diverse biological activities. A sequence on the A chain containing IKVAV (Ile-Lys-Val-Ala-Val) has been shown to promote neurite outgrowth, cell adhesion, and tumor growth and metastasis. Here we have determined the structural requirements of this synthetic peptide for biological activity. Twelve-amino acid-long all-L- (LAM-L) and all-D-peptide (LAM-D) segments as well as an alternating D- and L-amino acid-containing peptide (LAM-DL), which included the IKVAV sequence (residues 2097-2108), were synthesized. Circular dichroism spectral analysis revealed a mirror image conformation of LAM-D and LAM-L with mainly beta-sheet and to a minor extent alpha-helical structure. LAM-DL did not exhibit any significant ordered conformational features. LAM-D and LAM-L showed similar cell attachment activities for rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12), whereas LAM-DL was inactive. A peptide analog with randomized IKVAV sequence (LAM-RM) was also inactive. A similar trend was observed in competition experiments of the four peptides with laminin in analogous cell attachment assays. In in vivo experiments, both LAM-D and LAM-L were capable of increasing tumor growth when subcutaneously injected into mice with murine melanoma cells B16F10. Results indicate that the conformational status of the IKVAV domain is a contributing factor in determining the biological activity but that there is no strict requirement for a specific chirality. There is a likely sequence specificity to the IKVAV region.