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Neuropeptide K
Neuropeptide K (also known as neurokinin K), is a protein encoded by the TAC1 gene. It is an elongated derivative of the N-terminus of neurokinin A as the final post-translational processing product of beta-preprotachykinin. Like neurokinin A, neuropeptide K has been localized to sensory neuron Sensory neurons, also known as afferent neurons, are neurons in the nervous system, that convert a specific type of stimulus, via their receptors, into action potentials or graded receptor potentials. This process is called sensory transduc ...s and likely plays a role in regulating sensation. While several mammalian brains are shown to express substance P and neurokinin A, they differ on expression of neurokinin A-derived peptides. In contrast with rat and cow brains, the human brain contains larger amounts of neuropeptide K. References {{Autacoids Neuropeptides Neurotransmitters ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TAC1
Preprotachykinin-1, (abbreviated PPT-1, PPT-I, or PPT-A), is a precursor protein that in humans is encoded by the ''TAC1'' gene. Isoforms and derivatives The protein has four isoforms—alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-PPT—which can variably undergo post-translational modification to produce neurokinin A (formerly known as substance K) and substance P. Alpha- and delta-PPT can only be modified to substance P, whereas beta- and gamma-PPT can produce both substance P and neurokinin A. Neurokinin A can also be further modified to produce neuropeptide K (also known as neurokinin K) and neuropeptide gamma. These hormones are thought to function as neurotransmitters which interact with nerve receptors and smooth muscle cells. They are known to induce behavioral responses and function as vasodilators and secretagogues. Alternative splicing of exons 4 and/or 6 produces four known products of undetermined significance. Human basal ganglia The nature and distribution of PPT-1 ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
N-terminus
The N-terminus (also known as the amino-terminus, NH2-terminus, N-terminal end or amine-terminus) is the start of a protein or polypeptide, referring to the free amine group (-NH2) located at the end of a polypeptide. Within a peptide, the amine group is bonded to the carboxylic group of another amino acid, making it a chain. That leaves a free carboxylic group at one end of the peptide, called the C-terminus, and a free amine group on the other end called the N-terminus. By convention, peptide sequences are written N-terminus to C-terminus, left to right (in LTR writing systems). This correlates the translation direction to the text direction, because when a protein is translated from messenger RNA, it is created from the N-terminus to the C-terminus, as amino acids are added to the carboxyl end of the protein. Chemistry Each amino acid has an amine group and a carboxylic group. Amino acids link to one another by peptide bonds which form through a dehydration reaction that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neurokinin A
Neurokinin A (NKA), formerly known as Substance K, is a neurologically active peptide translated from the pre-protachykinin gene. Neurokinin A has many excitatory effects on mammalian nervous systems and is also influential on the mammalian inflammatory and pain responses. Introduction Neurokinin A (formally known as substance K) is a member of the tachykinin family of neuropeptide neurotransmitters. Tachykinins are important contributors to nociceptive processing, satiety, and smooth muscle contraction. Tachykinins are known to be highly excitatory neurotransmitters in major central neural systems. Neurokinin A is ubiquitous in both the central and peripheral mammalian nervous systems, and seems to be involved in reactions to pain and the inflammatory responses. It is produced from the same preprotachykinin A gene as the neuropeptide substance P. Both substance P and neurokinin A are encoded by the same mRNA, which when alternatively spliced can be translated into either com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Post-translational Processing
In molecular biology, post-translational modification (PTM) is the covalent process of changing proteins following protein biosynthesis. PTMs may involve enzymes or occur spontaneously. Proteins are created by ribosomes, which translate mRNA into polypeptide chains, which may then change to form the mature protein product. PTMs are important components in cell signalling, as for example when prohormones are converted to hormones. Post-translational modifications can occur on the amino acid side chains or at the protein's C- or N- termini. They can expand the chemical set of the 22 amino acids by changing an existing functional group or adding a new one such as phosphate. Phosphorylation is highly effective for controlling the enzyme activity and is the most common change after translation. Many eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteins also have carbohydrate molecules attached to them in a process called glycosylation, which can promote protein folding and improve stability as well a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beta-preprotachykinin
Preprotachykinin-1, (abbreviated PPT-1, PPT-I, or PPT-A), is a precursor protein that in humans is encoded by the ''TAC1'' gene. Isoforms and derivatives The protein has four isoforms—alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-PPT—which can variably undergo post-translational modification to produce neurokinin A (formerly known as substance K) and substance P. Alpha- and delta-PPT can only be modified to substance P, whereas beta- and gamma-PPT can produce both substance P and neurokinin A. Neurokinin A can also be further modified to produce neuropeptide K (also known as neurokinin K) and neuropeptide gamma. These hormones are thought to function as neurotransmitters which interact with nerve receptors and smooth muscle cells. They are known to induce behavioral responses and function as vasodilators and secretagogues. Alternative splicing of exons 4 and/or 6 produces four known products of undetermined significance. Human basal ganglia The nature and distribution of PPT-1 has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sensory Neuron
Sensory neurons, also known as afferent neurons, are neurons in the nervous system, that convert a specific type of stimulus, via their receptors, into action potentials or graded receptor potentials. This process is called sensory transduction. The cell bodies of the sensory neurons are located in the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord. The sensory information travels on the afferent nerve fibers in a sensory nerve, to the brain via the spinal cord. Spinal nerves transmit external sensations via sensory nerves to the brain through the spinal cord. The stimulus can come from exteroreceptors outside the body, for example those that detect light and sound, or from interoreceptors inside the body, for example those that are responsive to blood pressure or the sense of body position. Types and function Sensory neurons in vertebrates are predominantly pseudounipolar or bipolar, and different types of sensory neurons have different sensory receptors that respond t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neuropeptides
Neuropeptides are chemical messengers made up of small chains of amino acids that are synthesized and released by neurons. Neuropeptides typically bind to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to modulate neural activity and other tissues like the gut, muscles, and heart. Neuropeptides are synthesized from large precursor proteins which are cleaved and post-translationally processed then packaged into large dense core vesicles. Neuropeptides are often co-released with other neuropeptides and neurotransmitters in a single neuron, yielding a multitude of effects. Once released, neuropeptides can diffuse widely to affect a broad range of targets. Neuropeptides are extremely ancient and highly diverse chemical messengers. Placozoa, Placozoans such as ''Trichoplax'', extremely basal animals which do not possess neurons, use peptides for cell-to-cell communication in a way similar to the neuropeptides of higher animals. Examples Peptide signals play a role in information processing t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
