HUMAN C5A-RELATED SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES AS NEUTROPHIL CHEMOTACTIC FACTORS

The pentapeptide L-methionyl-L-glutaminyl-L-leucyl-glycyl-L-arginine, which mimics the C-terminal sequence of human C5a anaphylatoxin, and two additional N-formylmethionyl derivatives of this peptide have been assessed for their ability to simulate C5a-related biological activities. Only the N-formylated peptides display chemotactic activity or induce lysosomal enzyme release when assayed with human neutrophils. Additional studies indicate that the active peptides, although designed after the C-terminal structure of the human C5a molecule, were apparently active because of their interaction with the N-formylmethionyl peptide receptor rather than the C5a receptor on neutrophils. © 1979.