Peptides in development

Li, L., Pulver, S. R., Kelley, W. P., Thirumalai, V., Sweedler, J. V., Marder, E. (2002) Orcokinin peptides in developing and adult crustacean stomatogastric nervous systems and pericardial organs. J Comp Neurol, 444, 227-244. 

There are a number of ways to define the surface of a peptide. In developing these surfaces the peptide is represented by a union of spheres, with the radii of... 

Human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (Fig. 1) is a hormone-like proinflammatory peptide belonging to the group of cytokines. It is mainly produced by cells of the immune system in response to infection, inflammation, or cell damage. Disregulated TNF is an important factor in many pathological situations, like sqDsis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn s disease), and Cachexia. The cytotoxic activity of TNF is of interest in development of new antitumoral strategies. 

Significant additional interest in the potential role of oxytocin in labour developed from 1993, when it was reported for the first time that oxytocin, which had previously been thought to only be produced in the hypothalamus, may also be synthesised locally in the uterus as indicated by the presence of mRNA encoding for oxytocin [11]. This observation has recently been confirmed by using immunohistochemistry and mass spectrometry to confirm the presence of local oxytocin peptide in the uterus. These studies localised oxytocin to the chorionic trophoblast, decidual stroma and glandular epithelium, and demonstrated that local uterine concentrations of oxytocin increased with the onset of labour [12]. 

Schiller PW, Nguyen TM-D, Berezowska I, Weltrowska G, Schmidt R, Marsden BJ, Wilkes BC, Lemieux C, Chung NN. The TIPP opioid peptide family development of a new class of highly potent 6-receptor antagonists with extraordinary -selectivity. In Yanaihara N, ed. Peptide Chemistry 1992 (Proceedings of the 2nd Japanese Symposium on Peptide Chemistry. Leiden, The Netherlands Escom Science Publishers, 1993 337-340. 

Table 1 summarizes several of the experimental methods discussed in this chapter. A need exists for new or revised methods for transport experimentation, particularly for therapeutic proteins or peptides in polymeric systems. An important criterion for the new or revised methods includes in situ sampling using micro techniques which simultaneously sample, separate, and analyze the sample. For example, capillary zone electrophoresis provides a micro technique with high separation resolution and the potential to measure the mobilities and diffusion coefficients of the diffusant in the presence of a polymer. Combining the separation and analytical components adds considerable power and versatility to the method. In addition, up-to-date separation instrumentation is computer-driven, so that methods development is optimized, data are acquired according to a predetermined program, and data analysis is facilitated. 

Proteomics algorithms have been developed to search databases of protein sequences for matches to short sequences determined experimentally from proteins or peptides in the laboratory,5 59 and for theoretical matches to... 

---