Bombesin-related peptides

Houben H, Vandenbroucke A-T, Verheyden A-M, Denef C (1993) Expression of the genes encoding bombesin-related peptides and their receptors in anterior pituitary tissue. Mol Cell Endocrinol 97 159-164. 

Bombesin is a tetradecapeptide isolated from the skin of the amphibian frog Bombina bombina (Anastasi et al, 1971). It has been proposed that bombesin-related peptides may be released from the gastrointestinal tract in response to ingested food, and that they bridge the gut and brain via neurocrine means to inhibit further food intake (Merah et al, 1999). 

Merali, Z., McIntosh, J., Anisman, H. (1999). Role of bombesin-related peptides in the control of food intake. Neuropeptides 33 376-86. 

Bombesin-like family, a peptide family comprising bombesin and bombesin-related peptides which are classified into the three subfamilies bombesin family, ranatensin family and phyllolitorin family. 

Bombesin and related peptides such as gastrin-releasing peptide, neuromedin B and somatomedin are autocrine growth factors, anorexigenic and inducers of GI hormone (e.g. gastrin) release. Bombesin acts via Gaq to elevate cytosolic Ca2+. 

Mental activity involves adenosine, angiotensin, atrial natriuretic factor, bombesin, bradykinin, calcitonin, calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP), adrenomedullin, can-nabinoid, cholecystokinin and gastrin, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), glutamate, histamine, melatonin, somatostatin, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, and vasopressin and oxytocin. 

Neuromedin C (NMC), H-Gly-Asn-His-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Leu-Met -NH2, a bombesin-like peptide identified in porcine spinal cord. It exhibits a potent stimulant effect on the smooth muscle of rat uterus. NMC shows sequence identity with the C-terminal part 18-27 of gastric-inhibitory polypeptide and sequence homology with the C-terminus of bombesin. The name NMC was coined since it is closely related to —> neuromedin B [N. Minamino et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 1984, 119, 14 G. Gasmi et al., J. Peptide Res. 1997, 49, 500]. 

Phyllolitorin family, a subfamily of the bombesin-like family. Phyllolitorin, pGlu-Leu-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-Ser-Phe-Met-NH2, and [Leu ]phyllolitorinhe ong to this family. These peptides show similar activities as the members of the other subfamilies due to the related structure. In contrast to the other two subfamilies, mammalian homologues have not yet been found [V. Erspamer et al.. Peptides 1985, 6, 7]. 

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