The main functions of the abundant polypeptide toxins present in scorpion venoms are the debilitation of arthropod prey or defence against predators. These effects are achieved mainly through the blocking of an array of ion channel types within the membranes of excitable cells. However, while these ion channel-blocking toxins are tightly-folded by multiple disulphide bridges between cysteine re...

The molecular species of gastrin in the circulation and in tumor extracts were studied in two groups of patients: (1) with benign gastrinoma and (2) with gastrinoma with liver metastases. Radioimmunoassays (RIAs) and immunoaffinity chromatography for the amino (NH2)- and amidated COOH-terminus of gastrin-17 (antiserum G17) and the NH2-terminus of gastrin-34 (antiserum G34) were employed. In bot...

Mammalian Gastrin Releasing Peptide (GRP) has a widespread distribution and multiple stimulating effects on metabolism, release of regulatory peptides, gastrointestinal and pancreatic secretions, and behaviour. GRP is a potent mitogen for a number of tumor types including colon and lung. Although GRP is known to stimulate the growth of renal tumors, little is known of its synthesis, distributio...

This study examined whether gastrin modulates endothelial cell activity via heparin-binding epidermal growth factor–like growth factor (HB-EGF) expression. Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) were assessed for tubule formation in the presence of amidated gastrin-17 (G17) and glycineextended gastrin-17 (GlyG17) peptides. HB-EGF gene and protein expressions were measured by quantit...

Kisspeptins are members of the Arg-Phe amide family of peptides, which have been identified as endogenous ligands for a G-protein-coupled receptor encoded by a gene originally called GPR54 (also known as AXOR12 or hOT7T175). After this pairing, the gene has been renamed KISS1R. The International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Committee on Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification ...

In Drosophila, the amidated neuropeptide pigment dispersing factor (PDF) is expressed by the ventral subset of lateral pacemaker neurons and is required for circadian locomotor rhythms. Residual rhythmicity in pdf mutants likely reflects the activity of other neurotransmitters. We asked whether other neuropeptides contribute to such auxiliary mechanisms. We used the gal4/UAS system to create mo...

De novo mass spectrometric sequencing of two Conus peptides, Vi1359 and Vi1361, from the vermivorous cone snail Conus virgo, found off the southern Indian coast, is presented. The peptides, whose masses differ only by 2 Da, possess two disulfide bonds and an amidated C-terminus. Simple chemical modifications and enzymatic cleavage coupled with matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI)...

Four neuropeptides that inhibit juvenile hormone synthesis by the corpora allata have been isolated from brains of the virgin female cockroach Diploptera punctata. These allatostatins are 8-13 amino acids long, are amidated, and show sequence similarity, including a 3-amino acid sequence at the C-terminal end that is common to all four peptides. The peptide sequences are as follows: allatostati...

We have identified ghrelin from the stomach of rainbow trout. Four isoforms of ghrelin peptide were isolated: the C-terminal amidated type of rainbow trout ghrelin (rt ghrelin) composed of 24 amino acids (GSSFLSPSQKPQVRQGKGKPPRV-amide) is a basic form; des-VRQ-rt ghrelin, which deleted three amino acids (V13R14Q15) from rt ghrelin; and further two types of rt ghrelin that retained the glycine r...