title: The endocrine role for chromogranin A: a prohormone for peptides with regulatory properties.
abstract: Chromogranin A (CgA) belongs to the granin family of uniquely acidic secretory proteins co-stored and co-secreted with other hormones and peptides in elements of the diffuse neuroendocrine system. The granins arise from different genes and are characterized by numerous sites for post-translational cleavage into shorter peptides with postulated regulatory properties. This review is directed towards endocrine aspects of CgA and its biologically active peptides. There is ample evidence from in vitro studies of distinct effects and targets for three CgA-derived peptides, vasostatin-I, pancreastatin and catestatin. Endocrine regulations are indicated from in vivo studies, consistent with the postulated prohormone function of CgA for peptides with regulatory properties. Most of the effects fit into patterns of direct or indirect, inhibitory modulations of major functions, implicating CgA peptides in regulation of calcium and glucose metabolism, cardiovascular functions, gastrointestinal motility and nociception, tissue repair, inflammatory responses and as host defense peptides in the first phase of microbial invasions.
authors: Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009 Bergen, Norway. karen.helle@biomed.uib.no
authors: K B
authors: KB
authors: Helle
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Corti
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Metz-Boutigue
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Tota
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000503:physiopathology; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000502:physiology; D010187:Pancreatic Hormones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D053379:Chromogranin A; D010187:Pancreatic Hormones; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109084:chromogranin A (344-364); C050836:pancreastatin; C064110:vasostatin I; D002118:Calcium