Glycyl-L-Glutamine: A Dipeptide Neurotransmitter Derived from Beta- Endorphin
Abstract
The objective of this research is to test the hypothesis that glycyl- L-glutamine, a dipeptide synthesized through the post-translational processing of Beta-endorphin, acts as a neurotransmitter in brain and a circulating hormone in the periphery. To test this hypothesis, we established three working objectives: (1) to evaluate the physiological responses produced by glycyl L glutamine and test whether it modulates the opiate actions of Beta-endorphin; (2) to examine its distribution in brain and pituitary and determine whether it is specifically co-localized with Beta-endorphin; (3) to characterize the receptors which mediate glycyl L glutamine's pharmacologic effects. During the current project period, we found that glycyl L glutamine produces three markedly different pharmacologic responses: it stimulates a trophic response in cardiac myocytes, inducing expression of the asymmetric form of acetylcholinesterase, a classical marker for synaptic innervation; it produces neuroimmune regulatory effects in T lymphocytes, enhancing c-myc oncogene expression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA242587
Entities
People
- William R. Millington