Do plant natriuretic peptides mimic atrial natriuretic peptide?

Helen R Irving, in association with Dr D. Cahill, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Deakin University, and Prof CA Gehring, University of the Western Cape.

Natriuretic peptides are a family of peptides strongly implicated in the regulation of salt and water homeostasis in animals. Antibodies to atrial natriuretic peptide have been used to immunoaffinity purify a plant homologue from ivy leaves. Both atrial natriuretic peptide and the plant homologues are active in plant tissue where they stimulate stomatal opening and increases in cyclic GMP (Pharmawati et al. (1998) Plant Sci. 137: 107-115; Pharmawati et al. (2001) Plant Physiol Biochem 39: 1-10). The effect of the plant homologues on animal tissue has not been tested. The purpose of this project is to determine if the plant homologue has any specific effect on animal receptors to atrial natriuretic peptides. The project will involve both biochemical and isolated tissue studies.