Search for novel hormones and neuropeptides

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The principal aim of this proposal is to isolate novel hormones and neuropeptides using a variety of assay methods and to characterize physiological and biochemical properties of the peptides. Toward this goal, we first set up a new laboratory which is capable of carrying out peptide isolation, structural determination, chemical synthesis and various physiological and pharmacological studies, then, we carried out isolation studies and various physiological studies. In this study, we isolated and characterized that : 1)novel antimicrobial peptides, rugosins, A,B,and C from the skin of the frog, rana rugosa ; 2)a novel CCK-releasing peptide from porcine intestine ; 3)insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-II and IGF binding protein-2 from brain meningeal cells ; 4)novel motilin-related peptides from porcine intestine. We also found that : 1)meninges play a neurotrophic role in the regeneration of vasopressin nerves after hypophysectomy ; 2)biotinyl C-terminal-extended motilin can be used as a biologically active receptor probe ; 3)differentiation-inducing factor (DIF-1) raises intracellular calcium concentration and induces apoptosis in pancreatic AR42J cells ; 4)pancreastatin inhibits secretagogues-induced rise in intracellular free calcium in single rat pancreatic islet cells ; 5)GLP-1 depolarizes rat pancreatic B-cells in a Na+dependent manner ; 6)bradykinin rises the intracellular calcium concentration of pancreatic acinar AR42J cells.