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Identifying Links In The Chain: The Dynamic Coupling Of Catecholamines, Peptide Synthesis, And Peptide Release In Hypothalamic Neuroendocrine Neurons, Alan Watts, Arshad Khan

Arshad M. Khan, Ph.D.

Compared to conventional neurons that use synaptic mechanisms to communicate with closely apposed targets, peptidergic neuroendocrine neurons release relatively large quantities of peptide into the vasculature to control neuroendocrine function at more distal sites. This means that maintaining adequate amounts of peptide for release through controlled biosynthesis is critical for their function. But the flexible and adaptive responses these neurons generate to many different challenges require synthesis and release must be coordinated in some way. How neuroendocrine—or in fact, any neuropeptide—neurons link appropriate levels of peptide biosynthesis with the patterns of action potentials that drive peptide release is unknown. Here …