FIND ARTICLE

Volume: 
Issue: 
2
Date of issue: 
Neurokinins are a group of peptide compounds occurring in the nervous system of mammals. They are characterized by a common sequence of four amino acids at the C-terminal of a peptide chain. The neurokinins include substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA) and neurokinin B (NKB). The neurokinins bind to their specific receptors NK1, NK2 and NK3. An amino acid sequence of these receptors is over 65 per cent homologous. SP is a ligand of the NK1 receptor, NKA - of the NK2 receptor, and NKB - of the NK3 receptor. Each of them is simultaneously an agonist of neurokinin receptors of every type. The neurokinin receptors are linked to the G proteins which produce an effect on different effector system of secondary transmitters by which these neuropeptides depolarize the postsynaptic membrane of a nerve cell. The depolarization is connected with inactivation of potassium current. Synaptic terminals containing neurokinins and neurokinin receptors occur at early stages of embryogenesis. All these findings permit a hypothesis that neurokinins are engaged in differentiation and development of neurones.

The Editorial Board
Andrzej Łukaszyk - przewodniczący, Zofia Bielańska-Osuchowska, Szczepan Biliński, Mieczysław Chorąży, Aleksander Koj, Włodzimierz Korochoda, Leszek Kuźnicki, Aleksandra Stojałowska, Lech Wojtczak

Editorial address:
Katedra i Zakład Histologii i Embriologii Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Poznaniu, ul. Święcickiego 6, 60-781 Poznań, tel. +48 61 8546453, fax. +48 61 8546440, email: mnowicki@ump.edu.pl

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