title: Vasopressin and angiotensin II are absent but spontaneously reappear in solitary hypothalamic neurons of the homozygous Brattleboro rat.
abstract: The homozygous Brattleboro rat (di/di) synthesizes a vasopressin (VP) precursor with a different C-terminus, which is not packaged in granules. In addition, the expression of a coexisting peptide, angiotensin II (Ang II), is disturbed. During postnatal life a small but increasing number of solitary post-mitotic hypothalamic neurons of the di/di rat undergoes a switch to a genuine heterozygous phenotype. Here we report the reappearance of Ang II in these heterozygous cells, which suggests that for the expression of Ang II a normal VP precursor is required. Based upon the present study and literature data it is proposed that at the level of the endoplasmic reticulum a compartmentalization of the synthesis of various peptide precursor occurs.
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: van Leeuwen
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: vd Beek
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: van Heerikhuize
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sluiter
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imboden
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D006720:Homozygote; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D011910:Rats, Brattleboro; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006020:Glycopeptides; D014667:Vasopressins; D000804:Angiotensin II