Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biosynthesis of Oxytocin in the Brain and Peripheral Organs

  • Chapter
Neurobiology of Oxytocin

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Neuroendocrinology ((CT NEUROENDOCRI,volume 6))

Abstract

Historically, oxytocin biosynthesis has always been associated with the synthesis of the chemically related hormone vasopressin. Although the two hormones pursue quite different functions in the mammal, oxytocin being primarily associated with smooth muscle contraction of the female reproductive system and vasopressin with vasopressor and antidiuretic activities, two types of evidence have linked these hormones together.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Acher R (1979) Neurophysine - molekulare und zelluläre Aspekte. Angew Chemie 91:905–919

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ang VTY, Jenkins JS (1984) Neurohypophyseal hormones in the adrenal medulla. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 58:688–691

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Angal S, Chaiken M (1982) Interdependence of neurophysin self-association and neuropeptide hormone binding is expressed by quantitative affinity chromatography. Biochemistry 21:1574–1580

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baltimore D (1981) Gene conversion: some implications for immunoglobulin genes. Cell 24:592–594

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bargmann W, Scharrer E (1951) The site of origin of the hormones of the posterior pituitary. Am Sci 39:255–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradbury AF, Finnie MDA, Smyth DG (1982) Mechanism of C-terminal amide formation by pituitary enzymes. Nature 298:686–688

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Breslow E (1979) Chemistry and biology of the neurophysins. Annu Rev Biochem 48:251–274

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brimble MJ, Dyball REJ (1977) Characterization of the responses of oxytocin and vasopressin secretory neurones in the supraoptic nucleus to osmotic stimulation. J Physiol 271:253–271

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burford GD, Robinson ICAF (1982) Oxytocin, vasopressin and neurophysins in the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system of the human fetus. J Endocrinol 95:403–408

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Camier M, Barre N, Cohen P (1985) Hypothalamic biosynthesis and transport of neurophysins and their precursors to the rat brain stem. Brain Res 334:1–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dierickx K, Vandesande F (1979) Immunocytochemical demonstration of separate vasopressin-neurophysin and oxytocin-neurophysin neurons in the human hypothalamus. Cell Tissue Res 196:203–212

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fields PA, Eldridge RK, Fuchs A-R, Roberts RF, Fields MJ (1983) Human placental and bovine corpora luteal oxytocin. Endocrinology 112:1544–1546

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flint APF, Sheldrick EL (1982) Ovarian secretion of oxytocin is stimulated by prostaglandin. Nature 297:587–588

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Franco-Bourland RE, Fernstrom JD (1981) In vivo biosynthesis of the L-(35S)Cys-arginine vasopressin, -oxytocin and -somatostatin: rapid estimation using reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography. Endocrinology 109:1097–1106

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Furutani Y, Morimoto Y, Shibahara S, Noda M, Takahashi H, Hirose T, Asai M, Inayama S, Hayashida H, Miyata T, Numa S (1983) Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNA for ovine corticotropin releasing factor precursor. Nature 301:537–540

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gainer H, Sarne Y, Brownstein M (1977) Biosynthesis and axonal transport of rat neurohypophyseal proteins and peptides. J Cell Biol 73:366–381

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • George JM (1978) Immunoreactive vasopressin and oxytocin: concentration in individual human hypothalamic nuclei. Science 200:342–343

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guldenaar SEF, Pickering BT (1985) Immunocytochemical evidence for the presence of oxytocin in rat testis. Cell Tissue Res 240:485–487

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horn AM, Robinson ICAF, Fink G (1985) Oxytocin and vasopressin in rat hypophyseal portal blood: experimental studies in normal and Brattleboro rats. J Endocrinol 104:211–224

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ivell R, Richter D (1984 a) The gene for the hypothalamic peptide hormone oxytocin is highly expressed in the bovine corpus luteum: biosynthesis, structure and sequence analysis. EMBO J 3:2351–2354

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ivell R, Richter D (1984 b) Structure and comparison of the oxytocin and vasopressin genes from rat. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81:2006–2010

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ivell R, Richter D (1985) The oxytocin gene and its expression in the hypothalamus and ovary. In: Amico JA, Robinson AG (eds) Oxytocin, clinical and laboratory studies. Elsevier Biomedical, Amsterdam, pp 115–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivell R, Brackett K, Fields MJ, Richter D (1985) Ovulation triggers oxytocin gene expression in the bovine ovary. FEBS Lett 190:263–267

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Land H, Schütz G, Schmale H, Richter D (1982) Nucleotide sequence of cloned cDNA encoding bovine arginine vasopressin-neurophysin II precursor. Nature 295:299–303

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Land H, Grez M, Ruppert S, Schmale H, Rehbein M, Richter D, Schütz G (1983) Deduced amino acid sequence from the bovine oxytocin-neurophysin I precursor cDNA. Nature 302:342–344

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leng G, Mason WT, Dyer R (1982) The supraoptic nucleus as an osmoreceptor. Neuroendocrinology 34:75–82

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Majzoub JA, Rich A, van Boom J, Habener JF (1983) Vasopressin and oxytocin mRNA regulation in the rat assessed by hybridization with synthetic oligonucleotides. J Biol Chem 258:14061–14064

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Makino T, Nakazawa K, Ishii K, Haginiwa I, Nakayama A, Iizuka R (1983) Detection of immunoreactive human placental oxytocin and its contractile effect on the uterine muscle. Endocrinol Jpn 30:389–395

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin R, Voigt KH (1981) Enkephalins co-exist with oxytocin and vasopressin in nerve terminals of rat neurohypophysis. Nature 289:502–504

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maurer LH, O’Donnell JF, Kennedy S, Faulkner CS, Rist K, North WG (1983) Human neurophysins in carcinoma of the lung: relation to histology, disease stage, response rate, survival, and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. Cancer Treat Rep 67:971–976

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCabe JT, Morrell JI, Richter D, Pfaff DW (1985) Localization of neuroendocrinologically relevant RNA in brain by in situ hybridization. Frontiers in neuroendocrinology 86

    Google Scholar 

  • McKelvy JF (1975) Phosphorylation of neurosecretory granules by cAMP-stimulated protein kinase and its implications for transport and release of neurophysin proteins. Ann NY Acad Sci 248:80–91

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moore SEH, Hope DB (1985) High pressure liquid chromatography of bovine neurophysin isoforms. British Neuroendocrine Group inaugural meeting, 10–11 July 1985, Oxford, England, abstract 32

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson HD, Swann RW, Burford GD, Wathes DC, Porter DG, Pickering BT (1984) Identification of oxytocin and vasopressin in the testis and in adrenal tissue. Regul Pept 8:141–146

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • North WG, Gellai M, Hardy G (1982) Oxytocin and oxytocin-associated neurophysin evaluated by RIA in the Brattleboro rat: turnover. Ann NY Acad Sci 394:167–172

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richter D (1983) Synthesis, processing and gene structure of vasopressin and oxytocin. Prog Nucl Acids Res Mol Biol 30:245–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruppert S, Scherer G, Schütz G (1984) The primary structure of the bovine genes encoding the vasopressin and oxytocin precursor proteins reveals a recent gene conversion event. Nature 308:554–557

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Russell JT, Brownstein MJ, Gainer H (1980) Biosynthesis of vasopressin, oxytocin and neurophysins: isolation and characterization of two common precursors (propresso- physin and pro-oxyphysin). Endocrinology 107:1880–1891

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sachs H, Fawcett P, Takabatake Y, Portanova R (1969) Biosynthesis and release of vasopressin and neurophysin. Rec Progr Horm Res 25:447–491

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schams D, Schallenberger E, Meyer HHD, Bullermann B, Breitinger H-J, Enzenhofer G, Koll R, Kruip TAM, Walters DL, Karg H (1985) Ovarian oxytocin during the estrous cycle in cattle. In: Amico JA, Robinson AG (eds) Oxytocin, clinical and laboratory studies. Elsevier Biomedical, Amsterdam, pp 317–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmale H, Richter D (1980) In vitro biosynthesis and processing of composite common precursors containing amino acid sequences identified immunologically as neurophysin I/oxytocin and as neurophysin II/vasopressin. FEBS Lett 121:358–362

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmale H, Richter D (1984) Single base deletion in the vasopressin gene is the cause of diabetes insipidus in Brattleboro rats. Nature 308:705–709

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmale H, Leipold B, Richter D (1979) Cell-free translation of bovine hypothalamic mRNA: synthesis and processing of the prepro-neurophysin I and II. FEBS Lett 108:311–316

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmale H, Ivell R, Breindl M, Darmer D, Richter D (1984) The mutant vasopressin gene from diabetes insipidus (Brattleboro) rats is transcribed but the message is not efficiently translated. EMBO J 3:3289–3293

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sehöler J, Sladek JR (1981) Supraoptic nucleus of the Brattleboro rat has an altered afferent noradrenergic input. Science 214:347–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman TG, McKelvy JF (1983) Cell-free biosynthesis of rat neurophysin polypeptides from poly(A)RNA isolated from individual hypothalamic nuclei. Neurosci Abstr 9:622

    Google Scholar 

  • Sofroniev MV (1983) Morphology of vasopressin and oxytocin neurones and their central and vascular projections. In: The neurohypophysis: structure, function and control. Prog Brain Res 60:101–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sofroniev MV (1985) Vasopressin- and neurophysin-immunoreactive neurones in the septal region, medial amygdala and locus coeruleus in colchicine-treated rats. Neuroscience 15:347–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swann RW, Gonzalez CB, Birkett SD, Pickering BT (1982) Precursors in the biosynthesis of vasopressin and oxytocin in the rat. Biochem J 208:339–349

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swann RW, O’Shaughnessy PJ, Birkett SD, Wathes DC, Porter DG, Pickering BT (1984) Biosynthesis of oxytocin in the corpus luteum. FEBS Lett 174:262–266

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Dyke HB, Chow BF, Greep RO, Rothen A (1942) Isolation of a protein from the ox pituitary with constant oxytocic, pressor and diuresis-inhibiting activities. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 74:190–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Wathes DC, Swann RW (1982) Is oxytocin an ovarian hormone? Nature 297:225–227

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whitnall MH, Gainer H, Cox BM, Molineux CJ (1983) Dynorphin-A-(l-8) is contained within vasopressin neurosecretory vesicles in rat pituitary. Science 205:1137–1139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfson B, Manning RW, Davis L, Arentzen R, Baldino F (1985) Co-localization of corticotropin releasing factor and vasopressin mRNA in neurons after adrenalectomy. Nature 315:59–61

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Zellbiochemie und Klinische Neurobiologie, Universität Hamburg, D-2000, Hamburg, Germany

    R. Ivell

Authors
  1. R. Ivell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmakologisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 6900, Heidelberg, Germany

    Detlev Ganten M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Rockefeller University, York Avenue, and 66th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Donald Pfaff Ph.D.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ivell, R. (1986). Biosynthesis of Oxytocin in the Brain and Peripheral Organs. In: Ganten, D., Pfaff, D. (eds) Neurobiology of Oxytocin. Current Topics in Neuroendocrinology, vol 6. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70414-7_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70414-7_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-70416-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-70414-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation