Structure-activity relationships in calcitonin gene-related peptide: cyclic AMP response in a preosteoblast cell line (KS-4).

Synthetic analogs of chicken and human CGRP were used to define structure-function relationships in a murine osteoblast precursor cell line, KS-4, that exhibits a substantial cyclic AMP response to CGRP but no response to calcitonin. Human CGRP had 40% of the activity of chicken CGRP, but [Asp-14]-human CGRP was equipotent with chicken CGRP. Similar observations were made previously for calcium- and phosphate-lowering effects. Des-1-Ala,deamino CGRP compounds of both human and chicken origin were three-fold more potent than the respective native CGRPs. The [4-F-Phe)-37]-chicken CGRP analog had a four-fold enhanced activity. In all of the 13 analogs either truncated amino-terminally or missing the (2-7)-disulfide bridge, biologic activity was greatly reduced (0.1% of chicken CGRP), as it was in chicken CGRP-(1-36)-OH, which lacks the C-terminal amino acid. The same analog has been shown to retain a hypocalcemic effect, which is most likely mediated through calcitonin receptors. In confirmation of their antagonistic effect reported in liver, analogs that lack the N-terminal ring structure exhibited significant antagonistic activity. The data illustrate the specificity of CGRP receptors in promoting cyclic AMP formation in osteoblast-like cells. Such CGRP analogs will be useful in investigating structure-function relationships of CGRP.