SYNTHETIC MELANOTROPIC PEPTIDE INITIATES ERECTIONS IN MEN WITH PSYCHOGENIC ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION: DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO CONTROLLED CROSSOVER STUDY

Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) regulate pigmentation and adrenal cortical function, respectively. These peptides also have a variety of biological activities in other areas, including the brain, the pituitary, and the immune system. A complete understanding of the biological activities of these hormones requires the isolation and characterization of their corresponding receptors. The murine and human MSH receptors (MSH-Rs) and a human ACTH receptor (ACTH-R) were cloned. These receptors define a subfamily of receptors coupled to guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that may include the cannabinoid receptor.

Melanocytes and melanoma cells are known to possess receptors for melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH). A cDNA clone, designated 11D, has been isolated from human melanoma cells and encodes a MSH receptor. The cloned cDNA encodes a 317 amino acid protein with transmembrane topography characteristics of a G-protein-coupled receptor, but it does not show striking similarity to already published sequences of other G-protein-coupled receptors. When 11D cDNA is expressed in COS-7 cells, it binds an 125I-labelled MSH analogue (NDP-MSH) in a specific manner. The bound ligand could be displaced by melanotropic peptides, alpha-MSH, beta-MSH, gamma-MSH and ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), but not by the non-melanotropic peptide, beta-endorphin. This is the first report of the cloning of the receptor gene of the melanotropin receptor family.

A human genomic clone designated MC-2 is isolated. The cloned DNA codes for a protein of 325 amino acids which possesses seven hydrophobic segments, a characteristic of G-protein coupled receptors. The MC-2 receptor is expressed in brain tissue but not in the melanoma cells. When the MC-2 DNA is expressed in COS-7 cells, it binds [125I]-labelled [Nle4, D-Phe7]- alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone (NDP-MSH) which then could be displaced by melanotropic peptides alpha-MSH, beta-MSH, gamma-MSH and adrenocorticotropic hormone, but not by non-melanotropic peptide beta-endorphin. The highest affinity of 5.18 nM was for the NDP-MSH peptide. The novel MC-2 receptor and the MC-1 receptor, described earlier by us (8) showed identical order of affinity for the melanocortin peptides, but the affinities and the fold differences in the affinities to the melanocortin peptides were different when compared to the earlier described MC-1 receptor. The results suggest that the MC-2 DNA codes for a novel melanocortin receptor.