title: A major metabolite of arginine vasopressin in the brain is a highly potent neuropeptide.
abstract: A peptide that accumulated as the major product during the proteolysis of arginine vasopressin by rat brain synaptic membranes was isolated and its structure was shown to be the hexapeptide pGlu-Asn-Cys(Cys)-Pro-Arg-Gly-NH2. When administered intracerebroventricularly in extremely low doses, this vasopressin fragment and its desglycinamide derivative facilitated memory consolidation in a passive avoidance situation. These vasopressin metabolites, which are devoid of pressor activity, constitute highly potent neuropeptides with selective effects on memory and related processes; they are activated via proteolytic processing of vasopressin by brain peptidases.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases