ABSTRACT
Neurons have more than one trick up their sleeves. They have indeed many substances at their disposal to express themselves: neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, ...), neuropeptides (neurotensin, substance P, vasoactive intestinal poly-peptide, ...) and even gazeous neuronal messengers (nitric oxide, carbon monoxid, ...). Among neuropeptides, the genealogy of the bombesin family, including bombesin, ranatensin, alytesin, litorin, and phyllolitorin, among others, is worth being summarized in this column. The bombesin family of peptides consists of several molecules which contain essentially homologous C-terminal decapeptides wherein the binding and biological activities reside (Fisher, 1987). Though discovered in the amphibian skin, bombesin and related peptides were subsequently observed in many areas of the central nervous system: hypothalamus, interpeduncular nucleus, tegmental central nucleus, parabrachial dorsal nucleus, solitary nucleus, periaqueductal grey matter, and, to a lesser extent, in the caudate nucleus, cingular gyrus and hippocampus (Panula, 1986; Leonhardt et al., 1987). Bombesin also occurs in paraganglia (Heym & Kummer, 1988).
