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- ***************************************
- * Neurohypophysial hormones signature *
- ***************************************
-
- Oxytocin (or ocytocin) and vasopressin [1] are small (nine amino acid
- residues), structurally and functionally related neurohypophysial peptide
- hormones. Oxytocin causes contraction of the smooth muscle of the uterus and
- of the mammary gland while vasopressin has a direct antidiuretic action on the
- kidney and also causes vasoconstriction of the peripheral vessels. Like
- the majority of active peptides, both hormones are synthesized as larger
- protein precursors that are enzymatically converted to their mature forms.
- Peptides belonging to this family are also found in birds, fish, reptiles and
- amphibians (mesotocin, isotocin, valitocin, glumitocin, aspargtocin,
- vasotocin) and have also been found in locust [2] (neuropeptide F1/F2) and in
- a mollusc [3] (conopressins G and S).
-
- The pattern developed to detect this category of peptides spans their entire
- sequence and includes five invariant amino acid residues.
-
- -Consensus pattern: C-[LIFY](2)-x-N-C-P-x-G
- [The two C's are linked by a disulfide bond].
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.
- -Last update: June 1994 / Text revised.
-
- [ 1] Acher R., Chauvet J.
- Biochimie 70:1197-1207(1988).
- [ 2] Proux J.P., Miller C.A., Li J.P., Carney R.L., Girardie A., Delaage M.,
- Schooley D.A.
- Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 149:180-186(1987).
- [ 3] Cruz L.J., de Santos V., Zafaralla G.C., Ramilo C.A., Zeikus R.,
- Gray W.R., Olivera B.M.
- J. Biol. Chem. 262:15281-15284(1987).
-