title: Novel neuropeptide Y processing in human cerebrospinal fluid from depressed patients.
abstract: In vitro processing of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with depression was monitored by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Single peptide bonds in NPY were cleaved to yield N- or C-terminal fragments. Multiple cleavage to form internal peptides was unimportant. Degradation rates varied between individuals, whereas the product distributions were fairly constant. Other peptides did not evidence such proteolysis. MALDI-TOF MS will facilitate extensive investigations of NPY processing that could provide the basis for clinical assays and illuminate the pathophysiology related to depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Göteborg, Mölndal, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ekman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Juhasz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heilig
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Agren
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Costello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003863:Depression / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D010446:Peptide Fragments