Possible mechanisms for the powerful actions of neuropeptides.
In order to understand the mechanisms underlying the powerful actions of neuropeptides, the present article has emphasized the unique ability of neuropeptides to act as VT signals, which via high-affinity G-protein coupled receptors can exert long-lasting actions and control synaptic transmission via receptor-receptor interactions. Also of substantial importance is the ability of neuropeptides to act as a set of signals via the formation of different types of active fragments, which can act as negative-feedback or positive-feedback signals to modulate the response elicited by the parent peptide and to give origin to syndromic responses. Also in the actions of the fragments on the neuronal network, receptor-receptor interactions may play an important role both by modulating the parent peptide receptors and by modulating other types of VT and/or WT receptors. Future work will have to evaluate the role of neuropeptides as transcellular signals and as regulators of neuronal excitabilities after the formation of carbamates, but certainly new important developments are within the horizon of today's research.
Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Hedlund
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D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D002766:Cholecystokinin / Q000494:pharmacology; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000494:pharmacology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology*
D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D002766:Cholecystokinin; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins