| Abstract: | Neurophysins are linear cystine-rich proteins containing 93–95 amino acid residues which like the neurohypophysial hormones oxytocin and vasopressin are formed in the hypothalamus and travel from there to the hypophysial posterior lobe. A species usually contains two (or three) neurophysins which differ only slightly in chain length and/or sequence. Many observatios suggest that both oxytocin and one of the neurophysins as well as vasopressin and the other neurophysin have a common precursor whose long chain is split into neurophysin and hormone. It can be shown on rats having considerable diabetes insipidus that a single gene controls the biosynthesis of the vasopressin and one of the neurophysins. |
