Exploiting natural peptide diversity: novel research tools and drug leads.
During the course of evolution, nature has developed a vast number of peptides in all living and past species that display an exceeding diversity of structure and biological effects, such as hormonal and enzyme-controlling activity, communication between cells, and participation in host defence. Sensitive mass spectrometric technologies have been introduced and facilitate access to new natural peptides, even in trace amounts, and allow the quantitative determination of the peptide status of cells, organs and whole organisms (peptidomics). Among the large number of new biologically active peptides identified from an increasing variety of natural sources, regulators of ion channels, chemoattractants, protease inhibitors, metabolism-related hormones, cytotoxins, and antimicrobials have been found. These novel peptides serve as research tools and have potential as diagnostic biomarkers and for the development of peptide and peptidometic drugs.
Adermann
Knut
K
IPF Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 31, 30625 Hannover, Germany. k.adermann@ipf-pharmaceuticals.de
John
Harald
H
Ständker
Ludger
L
Forssmann
Wolf-Georg
WG
D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques; D015195:Drug Design; D064451:Hepcidins; D007313:Insecta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D053491:Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory; D000074163:Serine Peptidase Inhibitor Kazal-Type 5; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D064451:Hepcidins; D010455:Peptides; D053491:Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory; C120650:SPINK5 protein, human; D000074163:Serine Peptidase Inhibitor Kazal-Type 5; D023083:beta-Defensins; C475606:liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2, human