title: A novel form of oxytocin in New World monkeys.
abstract: Oxytocin is widely believed to be present and structurally identical in all placental mammals. Here, we report that multiple species of New World monkeys possess a novel form of oxytocin, [P8] oxytocin. This mutation arises from a substitution of a leucine to a proline in amino acid position 8. Further analysis of this mutation in Saimiri sciureus (squirrel monkey) indicates that [P8] oxytocin is transcribed and translated properly. This mutation is specific to oxytocin, as the peptide sequence for arginine vasopressin, a structurally related nonapeptide, is unaltered. These findings dispel the notion that all placental mammals possess a 'universal' oxytocin sequence, and highlight the need for research on the functional significance of this novel nonapeptide in New World monkeys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA. tree101@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Alex G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Cool
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Grunwald
authors.forename: Donald E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Neal
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Buckmaster
authors.forename: Michelle Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Shellie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hyde
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D051078:Platyrrhini / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D010121:Oxytocin