Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Biochemical Research Methods, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Neuropeptide, Mus musculus, peptidomics, pituitary, hypothalamus, islets of Langerhans, endocrine pancreas, MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, Q-TOF MS, two-dimensional HPLC, nanoLC, LC-MS/MS, PEPTIDOMICS, BRAIN, CONSTRUCTION, EXTRACTION, PEPTIDES, DATABASE, Animals, Brain Chemistry, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Endocrine Glands, Mass Spectrometry, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neuropeptides, PROTEOMICS, DISCOVERY, PITUITARY, 0399 Other Chemical Sciences, 0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology, 3404 Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry

Abstract:

Endocrine tissues like the pituitary, hypothalamus and islets of Langerhans are rich in bioactive peptides. These are used for intercellular signalling and are involved in regulation of almost all physiological processes. Peptidomics is the comprehensive analysis of peptides in tissues, fluids and cells. Peptidomics applied to (neuro-)endocrine tissues aims therefore to identify as many bioactive peptides as possible. Peptidomics of (neuro-)endocrine tissues requires an integrated approach that consists of careful sample handling, peptide separation techniques, mass spectrometry and bioinformatics. Here we describe the methods for isolation and dissection of endocrine tissues, the extraction of bioactive peptides and further sample handling and identification of peptides by mass spectrometry and hyphenated techniques. We also present a straightforward method for the comparison of relative levels of bioactive peptides in these endocrine tissues under varying physiological conditions. The latter helps to elucidate functions of the bioactive peptides.