Faculty Research 1990 - 1999
The hypocretins: hypothalamus-specific peptides with neuroexcitatory activity.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1998
Keywords
Animal, Base-Sequence, Chromosomes, Consensus-Sequence, Homeostasis, Hypothalamus-Posterior, Male, Mice, Molecular-Sequence-Data, Neurons, Neurotransmitters: ph, Protein-Precursors: ge, Rats, Rats-Wistar, Secretin, SUPPORT-NON-U-S-GOVT, SUPPORT-U-S-GOVT-NON-P-H-S, SUPPORT-U-S-GOVT-P-H-S, Synaptic-Vesicles
First Page
322
Last Page
327
JAX Source
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1998 Jan 6;95(1):322-7
Grant
GM32355/GM/NIGMS, NS33396/NS/NINDS, AG11084/AG/NIA
Abstract
We describe a hypothalamus-specific mRNA that encodes preprohypocretin, the putative precursor of a pair of peptides that share substantial amino acid identities with the gut hormone secretin. The hypocretin (Hcrt) protein products are restricted to neuronal cell bodies of the dorsal and lateral hypothalamic areas. The fibers of these neurons are widespread throughout the posterior hypothalamus and project to multiple targets in other areas, including brainstem and thalamus. Hcrt immunoreactivity is associated with large granular vesicles at synapses. One of the Hcrt peptides was excitatory when applied to cultured, synaptically coupled hypothalamic neurons, but not hippocampal neurons. These observations suggest that the hypocretins function within the CNS as neurotransmitters.
Recommended Citation
de LL,
Kilduff TS,
Peyron C,
Gao X,
Foye PE,
Danielson PE,
Fukuhara C,
Battenberg EL,
Gautvik VT,
Bartlett FS,
Frankel WN,
van de,
Bloom FE,
Gautvik KM,
Sutcliffe JG.
The hypocretins: hypothalamus-specific peptides with neuroexcitatory activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1998 Jan 6;95(1):322-7