STRUCTURE & FUNCTION OF BOMBESIN LIKE PEPTIDES

到目前为止，两种哺乳动物蛙皮素样多肽，胃泌素释放 多肽(GRP)和神经内酯B(NMB)已被表征。这些 哺乳动物神经系统和胃肠道中广泛分布的两种多肽 但是，在临床上最重要的是，GRP由许多人表达 并可能刺激这些肿瘤的生长。近期 研究表明，还有许多额外的蛙皮素样物质 尚待鉴定的多肽，这些多肽很可能 在成长和发展中发挥重要作用。因此，我们是 尝试通过以下方法鉴定新的蛙皮素类多肽 与编码基因的交叉杂交 蛙毒素样多肽，以及利用两栖动物抗体 蛙毒素样多肽。一旦新的蛙毒素样多肽 发现，分布研究和生理学研究使用 将建立灵长类动物模型来确定这些新的角色 正常和肿瘤过程中的多肽。到目前为止，我们有 发现3个新的两栖类蛙皮素肽和2个新的 两栖类蛙毒蛋白受体。我们的新数据表明，配体 因为最近描述的蛙皮素BRS-3受体可能是 长期以来一直在寻找的哺乳动物蛙毒蛋白。

To date, two mammalian bombesin-like peptides, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and neuromedin B (NMB), have been characterized. These two peptides are widely distributed in mammalian nervous system and GI tract; but, of greatest clinical importance, GRP is expressed by many neoplasms and may stimulate the growth of these neoplasms. Recent studies suggest that there are a number of additional bombesin-like peptides that are yet to be identified and that these peptides likely play an important role in growth and development. Thus, we are attempting to identify new bombesin-like peptides by cross-hybridization with cDNAs encoding previously characterized bombesin-like peptides, as well as by using antibodies to amphibian bombesin-like peptides. Once new bombesin-like peptides are discovered, distribution studies and physiologic studies using the primate model will be established to determine the role of these new peptides in normal and neoplastic processes. To date, we have discovered 3 new amphibian bombesin-like peptides and two new amphibian bombesin receptors. Our new data suggests that the ligand for recently described bombesin BRS-3 receptor may turn out to be the long sought mammalian bombesin.