%0 Journal Article %A GEORGIA DELICONSTANTINOS %A STEPHEN BARTON %A MIKHAIL SOLOVIEV %A NIGEL PAGE %T Mouse Hemokinin-1 Decapeptide Subjected to a Brain-specific Post-translational Modification %D 2017 %J In Vivo %P 991-998 %V 31 %N 5 %X Background/Aim: The tachykinin mouse hemokinin-1, expressed by the mouse Tac4 gene, produces either analgesia or nociception, interacting with the neurokinin 1 receptor. TAC4 precursor processing is not identical to the processing of the TAC1 precursor, for the release of substance P (amidated undecapeptide). The characterization of the mouse hemokinin-1 sequence was required. Materials and Methods: We developed anti-tachykinin-specific antibodies for the immunoaffinity purification of tachykinins. Results: Using MALDI-ToF, we identified mouse hemokinin-1 as an amidated decapeptide expressed in murine brain and periphery. Furthermore, we interestingly observed an additional mass peak corresponding to acetylated mouse hemokinin-1 and this post-translational modification is brain-specific, not detected in the periphery. Conclusion: We suggest that the N-terminal acetylation of the peptide provides greater potency for ligand–receptor interactions during neural cell signaling. %U https://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/invivo/31/5/991.full.pdf