New challenges in the study of the mammalian tachykinins.
There is an expanding repertoire of mammalian tachykinins produced by a variety of tachykinin genes, gene splicing events and peptide processing. Novel tachykinin-binding molecules/receptors are proposed, but only, three tachykinin receptors are identified with certainty. The question remains - do more tachykinin receptors exist or is there just the need to reappraise our understanding of the known receptors? The tachykinin NK1 receptor, the preferred receptor for both substance P and the peripheral SP-like endokinins, exists in several tissue-specific conformations and isoforms and may provide some clues. This review addresses recent advances in this exciting field and raises challenging new concepts.
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Nigel M
NM
School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, The University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AJ, UK. sasnpage@reading.ac.uk
D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000502:physiology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018039:Receptors, Tachykinin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015320:Tachykinins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D018039:Receptors, Tachykinin; D015320:Tachykinins