Exploring for new bioactive peptides using our novel assays

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24659394
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Circulatory organs internal medicine
• Research Institution: University of Miyazaki
• Principal Investigator: KUWASAKO Kenji 宮崎大学, フロンティア科学実験総合センター, 准教授 (20381098)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KATO Johji 宮崎大学, フロンティア科学実験総合センター, 教授 (20274780) ; KITAMURA Kazuo 宮崎大学, 医学部, 教授 (50204912) ; NAGATA Sayaka 宮崎大学, 医学部, 特任助教 (00452920)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 新規生理活性ペプチド / オーファン受容体 / キメラ遺伝子 / 安定発現株 / FACS解析 / FRET解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The discovery of unknown bioactive peptides can help to clarify the complexity of the circulatory system. In the past 23 years, we have discovered several potent hypotensive and vasopressor peptides (e.g., adrenomedullin, its related peptides and proangiotensin-12). Furthermore, we have clarified the mechanisms of the signaling, trafficking and pathophysiological roles of the receptor activity-modifying protein (RAMP)-interacting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). In this study, we have attempted to identify novel bioactive peptides that may be able to bind to the human orphan GPCRs in the circulatory system. We uniquely constructed several chimeras in which some regions of target orphan GPCRs were replaced with the corresponding regions of some known GPCRs that can powerfully cause agonist-induced cAMP production and internalization. Unfortunately, we were unable to identify any bioactive peptides for the intended purpose.

Free Research Field

循環器内科学、薬理学