title: Neuropeptide S: a new player in the modulation of arousal and anxiety.
abstract: Neuropeptide S (NPS) is a newly identified transmitter that modulates arousal and fear responses. NPS activates an orphan G protein-coupled receptor that is expressed throughout the central nervous system, including brain centers that regulate sleep/wakefulness and anxiety. In contrast, the NPS precursor mRNA is found only in a few discrete nuclei in the brainstem as well as in a few scattered cells in the hypothalamus and amygdala. The most prominent expression of NPS precursor is found in a previously uncharacterized cluster of neurons in the pontine area, located between the noradrenergic locus ceruleus and Barrington's nucleus. Central administration of NPS induces long-lasting arousal and suppresses all stages of sleep. In addition, NPS produces an anxiolytic profile in a variety of behavioral models. The unique pharmacological spectrum of NPS makes it an interesting target for pharmaceutical development. It also enhances our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of sleep/wakefulness regulation and the neuronal processing of stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4625, USA.
authors.forename: Rainer K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Reinscheid
authors.forename: Yan-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Civelli
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents