FMRFamide tagging--how an ionotropic receptor can be used to measure peptide secretion.

摘要

In this chapter, we describe a technique, FMRFamide tagging, that in principle can be used to measure the release of any sequenced neuropeptide. The method relies upon the addition of an electrophysiologically active neuropeptide of interest. Secretion of the electrophysiological tag (and thus the peptide of interest) is detected by activation of the ionotropic tag receptor. expressed in the cell type under investigation. Since the tag and the neuropeptide of interest are on the same prohormone they are co-secreted and thus secretion of the tag reflects the co-secretion of the neuropeptide of interest. This method can be used to detect neuropeptide secretion on a millisecond timescale.