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

The nonapeptide vasopressin is synthetized as part of a longer common precursor polypeptide, together with its carrier protein neurophysin and a glycopeptide of unknown function. The gene for this common precursor has been isolated and sequenced and shown to comprise three exons encoding, respectively, the protein domains approximately corresponding to the N-terminal leader peptide and hormone, to most of the neurophysin, and to the glycopeptide. In the Brattleboro rat, the hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus, characteristic of this strain, has been shown to be caused by a single nucleotide deletion in the vasopressin gene. This leads to the much reduced synthesis of a mutant vasopressin precursor, whose C terminus is quite unlike that in wild-type rats and which does not appear to be correctly processed in vivo.
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PMID:Biosynthesis of vasopressin. 243 69

Human intestinal trefoil factor, hITF, a secretory polypeptide found mainly in the human gastrointestinal tract, is a member of the newly characterized trefoil factor or P-domain peptide family representing putative growth factors. Here we describe the identification of this gut peptide in the human brain and pituitary. With reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, we were able to isolate and clone the transcript from human hypothalamus. An antibody generated against a synthetic peptide derived from the carboxyl terminus of hITF was used for immunohistochemical studies of appropriate tissue sections. Neurons expressing hITF were identified in two magnocellular hypothalamic nuclei, the paraventricular and periventricular nuclei. hITF polypeptide was also observed in Herring bodies of the neurohypophysis and in secretory cells of the adenohypophysis. Double immunostaining with antigrowth hormone antibody showed partial coexistence in a selected subpopulation of adenohypophysial cells. Localization of hITF in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system may suggest a modulatory action on the classical magnocellular nonapeptides vasopressin and oxytocin, and further indicates an adenohypophysial importance of this peptide. It is likely that hITF represents a novel neuropeptide of yet unknown function.
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PMID:Human intestinal trefoil factor is expressed in human hypothalamus and pituitary: evidence for a novel neuropeptide. 894 Feb 97

The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) contains a heterogeneous cluster of Sim1-expressing cell types that comprise a major autonomic output nucleus and play critical roles in the control of food intake and energy homeostasis. The roles of specific PVH neuronal subtypes in energy balance have yet to be defined, however. The PVH contains nitric oxide synthase-1 (Nos1)-expressing (Nos1(PVH)) neurons of unknown function; these represent a subset of the larger population of Sim1-expressing PVH (Sim1(PVH)) neurons. To determine the role of Nos1(PVH) neurons in energy balance, we used Cre-dependent viral vectors to both map their efferent projections and test their functional output in mice. Here we show that Nos1(PVH) neurons project to hindbrain and spinal cord regions important for food intake and energy expenditure control. Moreover, pharmacogenetic activation of Nos1(PVH) neurons suppresses feeding to a similar extent as Sim1(PVH) neurons, and increases energy expenditure and activity. Furthermore, we found that oxytocin-expressing PVH neurons (OXT(PVH)) are a subset of Nos1(PVH) neurons. OXT(PVH) cells project to preganglionic, sympathetic neurons in the thoracic spinal cord and increase energy expenditure upon activation, though not to the same extent as Nos1(PVH) neurons; their activation fails to alter feeding, however. Thus, Nos1(PVH) neurons promote negative energy balance through changes in feeding and energy expenditure, whereas OXT(PVH) neurons regulate energy expenditure alone, suggesting a crucial role for non-OXT Nos1(PVH) neurons in feeding regulation.
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PMID:Control of food intake and energy expenditure by Nos1 neurons of the paraventricular hypothalamus. 2539 98