Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The conformation of oxytocin is related to the evolution and to some of the biological activities of neurophypophyseal hormonal peptides. On the basis of the three-dimensional structure, positions 3, 4, 7, and 8 are the only loci at which naturally occurring neurohypophyseal peptides may be expected to differ. The side chains of these amino-acid residues are the primary determinants of the differential specificity in interactions between neurohypophyseal hormones and their receptors. THERE ARE THREE GENERAL GROUPS OF STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS OF NEUROHYPOPHYSEAL HORMONES WHICH CAN BE CORRELATED WITH SPECIFIC CHANGES IN BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY: (a) those affecting the stabilization of the backbone of the peptide, which would extensively perturb the spatial relationships among all the constituent amino acids and hence, affect both affinity and intrinsic activities uniformly; (b) those which, while retaining the stability of the backbone conformation, alter the steric environment and charge distribution of limited surface areas, and thereby can affect affinity and intrinsic activity differentially; and (c) those changing the steric and electronic requirements of moieties comprising the active surface of the neurohypophyseal peptide, without perturbing the peptide backbone of the hormone molecule and, hence, affecting intrinsic activity without altering affinity.
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PMID:Relation of the conformation of oxytocin to the biology of neurohypophyseal hormones. 528 86

YAWNING IS A COMMON PHYSIOLOGICAL EVENT THAT CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE DISTINCT PHASES: a long inspiratory phase, a brief acme and a rapid expiration. The aim of yawning is not yet well defined. However this semi-voluntary event increases vigilance and aims to alert when drowsiness occurs. Yawning probably has an important role for social communication as well. Yawning can be responsible for pain, luxation or even transient ischaemic attack. Abnormal yawning is present in various pathologies: migraine, Parkinson's disease, tumours, psychiatric diseases, infections or iatrogenic pathologies. The neuro-pharmacology of yawning is complex and knowledge of its mechanisms is incomplete. While under the control of several neurotransmitters, yawning is largely affected by dopamine. Dopamine may activate oxytocin production in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Oxytocin may then activate cholinergic transmission in the hippocampus and, finally, acetylcholine might induce yawning via the muscarinic receptors of the effectors. This is an over-simplification; many other molecules can modulate yawning, such as nitric oxide, glutamate, GABA, serotonin, ACTH, MSH, sexual hormones and opium derivate peptides. Dopamine involvement in yawning could have practical applications in the study of new drugs or the exploration of neurological diseases such as migraine or psychosis. 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd
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PMID:Yawning. 1253 Sep 94