Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letters to Editor
  • Published:

Amino-acid Sequence of Substance P

Abstract

IN 1931 von Euler and Gaddum1, studying the tissue distribution of acetylcholine, found that brain and intestine contained a substance that stimulated contraction of the isolated rabbit jejunum, and caused transient hypotension when injected intravenously into anaesthetized rabbits. These effects could not be ascribed to acetylcholine, for they were not prevented by the previous administration of atropine. The initial studies were made on crude acid alcohol extracts of equine brain and intestine, dried in powder form. The active principle in the preparation was later referred to as substance P (P for powder), and this non-committal term subsequently achieved widespread acceptance in the literature, in the absence of any clearly definable biological role for the compound (or compounds) involved.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. von Euler, U. S., and Gaddum, J. H., J. Physiol., 72, 74 (1931).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Chang, M. M., and Leeman, S. E., J. Biol. Chem., 245, 4784, (1970).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Tregear, G. W., Niall, H. D., Potts, jun., J. T., Leeman, S. E., and Chang, M. M., Nature New Biology, 232, 87 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Niall, H. D., and Potts, jun., J. T., in Peptides, Chemistry and Biochemistry (edit. by Lande, S., and Weinstein, B.) (Marcel Dekker, New York, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Edman, P., Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 88, 602 (1960).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pisano, J. J., and Bronzert, T. J., J. Biol. Chem., 24, 5597 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Edman, P., and Begg, G., Europ. J. Biochem., 1, 80 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Keutmann, H. T., Parsons, J. A., Potts, jun., J. T., and Schleuter, R. J., J. Biol. Chem., 245, 1491 (1970).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Boissonnas, R. A., Franz, J., and Stürmer, E., Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 114, 376 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Pernow, B., Acta Physiol. Scand., 34, 295 (1955).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

CHANG, M., LEEMAN, S. & NIALL, H. Amino-acid Sequence of Substance P. Nature New Biology 232, 86–87 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio232086a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio232086a0

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing