Prokineticins: New Pair of Regulatory Peptides

Abstract

Prokineticins are newly discovered regulatory proteins that contain five disulfide bonds. Prokineticins activate a pair of closely related G protein‐coupled receptors. In the last five years, multiple biological functions have been identified for prokineticins. These include functions in peripheral organs such as gastrointestinal motility, pain perception, angiogenesis and hematopoiesis and brain functions such as circadian rhythms and neurogenesis. This chapter gives an overview on the short history of prokineticins, their receptors, followed by discussions of the currently known biological functions of prokineticins.