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Trafficking of the Vasopressin and Oxytocin Prohormone Through the Regulated Secretory Pathway
Author(s) -
De Bree F. M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1365-2826
pISSN - 0953-8194
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2826.2000.00521.x
Subject(s) - prohormone , vasopressin , oxytocin , neurophysins , endoplasmic reticulum , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , endocrinology , chemistry , biology , hormone
The trafficking of prohormones and of regulated secretory proteins in general has been studied extensively in the last decades of the last century. Prohormone trafficking starts with correct folding and subsequently efficient sorting into the secretory granule of the regulated secretory pathway. The vasopressin/oxytocin prohormone is particularly interesting for studying protein trafficking, because the physicochemical properties and three‐dimensional structure have been largely elucidated. In the case of pro‐vasopressin and pro‐oxytocin, folding and sorting depend completely on both intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. Proper folding is guided by the hormone–neurophysin association and the sorting event relies on the aggregative properties of the neurophysin domain in the prohormone, as well as a specific sorting signal, which is revealed when the aggregative property of the neurophysin domain is deleted. A comprehensive mechanism for trafficking of the vasopressin/oxytocin prohormone from the endoplasmic reticulum to the secretory granule is proposed.