Purification and characterization of human neuropeptide Y from adrenal-medullary phaeochromocytoma tissue.

Human neuropeptide Y was isolated from acid extracts of adrenal-medullary phaeochromocytoma tissue. After (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, the neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity was purified from the resolubilized 80%-saturation-(NH4)2SO4 peptide-rich precipitate, by gel filtration, cation-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. Amino acid analysis of the peptide revealed a composition almost identical with that of the pig peptide, the exception being the loss of one leucine residue and its replacement with methionine. Tryptic digestion of the peptide and subsequent amino acid analysis of the fragments further confirmed the identity of the peptide. Carboxypeptidase Y digestion of the (1-19)-peptide tryptic fragment has shown the methionine to be located at position 17 in human neuropeptide Y.