Neuropeptide Y

Neuropeptide Y. Neuropeptide Y [82785 5-3] (NPY) (255) is a 36-amiao acid peptide that is a member of a peptide family including peptide YY (PYY) [81858-94-8, 106338-42-5] (256) and pancreatic polypeptide (PPY) [59763-91-6] (257). In the periphery, NPY is present in most sympathetic nerve fibers, particulady around blood vessels and also in noradrenergic perivascular and selected parasympathetic nerves (66). Neurons containing NPY-like immunoreactivity ate abundant in the central nervous system, particulady in limbic stmctures. Coexistence with somatostatin and NADPH-diaphorase, an enzyme associated with NO synthesis, is common in the cortex and striatum. 

H-Asp-Met-His-Asp-Phe-Phe-Val-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2. Physalaemin, eledoisin, kassinin, SCYl, and SCYll are nonmammalian tachykinins. Two larger peptides have been identified, neuropeptide K (328) and neuropeptide y (329), both of which interact with tachykinin receptors (Table 19). The NKA sequence is contained within the carboxy-terrninal sequences of both neuropeptide K and neuropeptide y. Like other neuroactive peptides, tachykinin peptide precursors are synthesized ribosomaHy and transported to nerve terminals where further processing occurs. 

FIGURE 3.12 Dependence of constitutive receptor activity as ordinates (expressed as a percent of the maximal response to a full agonist for each receptor) versus magnitude of receptor expression (expressed as the amount of human cDNA used for transient transfection, logarithmic scale) in Xenopus laevis melanophores. Data shown for human chemokine CCR5 receptors (open circles), chemokine CXCR receptors (filled triangles), neuropeptide Y type 1 receptors (filled diamonds), neuropeptide Y type 2 receptors (open squares), and neuropeptide Y type 4 receptors (open inverted triangles). Data recalculated and redrawn from [27],... 

The first idea to consider is the effect of receptor density on sensitivity of a functional system to agonists. Clearly, if quanta of stimulus are delivered to the stimulus-response mechanism of a cell per activated receptor the amount of the total stimulus will be directly proportional to the number of receptors activated. Figure 5.8 shows Gi-protein-mediated responses of melanophores transiently transfected with cDNA for human neuropeptide Y-l receptors. As can be seen from this figure, increasing receptor expression (transfection with increasing concentrations of receptor cDNA) causes an increased potency and maximal response to the neuropeptide Y agonist PYY. 

FIGURE 5.10 Effects of co-expressed G-protein (G ) on neuropeptide NPY4 receptor responses (NPY-4). (a) Dose-response curves for NPY-4. Ordinates Xenopus laevis melanophore responses (increases light transmission). Ordinates logarithms of molar concentrations of neuropeptide Y peptide agonist PYY. Curves obtained after no co-transfection (labeled 0 jig) and co-transfection with cDNA for Gai6. Numbers next to the curves indicate jig of cDNA of Ga]g used for co-transfection, (b) Maximal response to neuropeptide Y (filled circles) and constitutive activity (open circles) as a function of pg cDNA of co-transfected G g. 

Cotransmission is transmission through a single synapse by means of more than one transmitter. For example, to elicit vasoconstriction, postganglionic sympathetic neurones release their classical transmitter noradrenaline (which acts on smooth muscle a-adrenoceptors) as well as ATP (which acts on smooth muscle P2 receptors) and neuropeptide Y (which acts on smooth muscle Yx receptors). 

Dipeptidylpeptidase IV (also known as CD26) cleaves neuropeptide Y, and peptide YY to generate their subtype-selective fragments NPY3 36 and PYY3 36. 

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36 amino acid polypqrtide with tyrosine residues at both ends of the molecule. It is characterised structurally by a PP-fold consisting of an extended polyproline helix and an a-helix connected by a (3-tum [1]. Based on structural and evolutionary criteria, NPY is closely related to peptide YY (PYY) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP). 

Cerda-Reverter JM, Larhammar D (2000) Neuropeptide Y family of peptides structure, anatomical expression, function, and molecular evolution. Biochem Cell Biol 78 371-392... 

Michel MC, Beck-Sickinger AG, H Cox et al (1998) XVI. International Union of Pharmacology recommendations for the nomenclature of neuropeptide Y, peptide YY and pancreatic polypeptide receptors. Pharmacol Rev 50 143-150... 

The neuropeptides are peptides acting as neurotransmitters. Some form families such as the tachykinin family with substance P, neurokinin A and neurokinin B, which consist of 11 or 12 amino acids and possess the common carboxy-terminal sequence Phe-X-Gly-Leu-Met-CONH2. Substance P is a transmitter of primary afferent nociceptive neurones. The opioid peptide family is characterized by the C-terminal sequence Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-X. Its numerous members are transmitters in many brain neurones. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), with 36 amino acids, is a transmitter (with noradrenaline and ATP) of postganglionic sympathetic neurones. 

Appetite-stimulating. Neuropeptide modulators and gut hormones with orexigenic effects are neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti-related protein (AGRP), melaninconcentrating hormone (MCH), endocannabinoids, galanin, ghrelin and others. 

The hormone pancreatic polypeptide (PP) is a 36 amino acid peptide, which is closely related to neuropeptide Y and peptide YY PP is mainly found in pancreatic cells distinct from those storing insulin, glucagon or somatostatin. It acts on receptors that belong to the family of neuropeptide Y receptors, particularly on the Y4 subtype. 

Purinergic System. Figure 2 Schematic of sympathetic cotransmission. ATP and NA released from small granular vesicles (SGV) act on P2X and a-i receptors on smooth muscle, respectively. ATP acting on inotropic P2X receptors evokes excitatory junction potentials (EJPs), increase in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]j) and fast contraction while occupation of metabotropic ar-adrenoceptors leads to production of inositol triphosphate (IP3), increase in [Ca2+]j and slow contraction. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) stored in large granular vesicles (LGV) acts after release both as a prejunctional inhibitory modulator of release of ATP and NA and as a postjunctional modulatory potentiator of the actions of ATP and NA. Soluble nucleotidases are released from nerve varicosities, and are also present as ectonucleotidases. (Reproduced from Burnstock G (2007) Neurotransmission, neuromodulation cotransmission. In Squire LR (ed) New encyclopaedia of neuroscience. Elsevier, The Netherlands (In Press), with permission from Elsevier). 

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