Structure-activity relationships of glucagon-like peptide-1(7-36)amide: insulinotropic activities in perfused rat pancreases, and receptor binding and cyclic AMP production in RINm5F cells.

To examine the structure-activity relationships in the insulinotropic activity of glucagon-like peptide-1(7-36) amide (GLP-1(7-36)amide), we synthesized 16 analogues, including eight which were designed by amino acid substitutions at positions 10 (Alal0), 15 (Serl5), 16 (Try16), 17 (Arg17), 18 (Lys18), 21 (Gly21), 27 (Lys27) and 31 (Asp31) of GLP-1(7-36)amide with an amino acid of GH-releasing factor possessing only slight insulinotropic activity, and three tentative antagonists including [Glu15]-GLP-1(8-36)amide. Their insulinotropic activities were assessed by rat pancreas perfusion experiments, and binding affinity to GLP-1 receptors and stimulation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) production were evaluated using cultured RINm5F cells. Insulinotropic activity was estimated as GLP-1(7-36)amide = Tyr16 > Lys18, Lys27 > Gly21 > Asp31 >> Ser15, Arg17 > Ala10 >> GRF > [Glu15]-GLP-1(8-36) amide. Displacement activity against 125I-labelled GLP-1(7-36)amide binding and stimulatory activity for cAMP production in RINm5F cells correlated well with their insulinotropic activity in perfused rat pancreases. These results demonstrate that (1) positions 10 (glycine), 15 (aspartic acid) and 17 (serine) in the amino acid sequence of GLP-1(7-36)amide, in addition to the N-terminal histidine, are essential for its insulinotropic activity through its binding to the receptor, (2) the amino acid sequences for the C-terminal half of GLP-1(7-36)amide also contribute to its binding to the receptor, although they are less important compared with those of the N-terminal half, and (3) [Glu15]-GLP-1(8-36)amide is not an antagonist of GLP-1(7-36)amide as opposed to des-His1 [Glu9]-glucagon amide which is a potent glucagon antagonist.