Title: Scotophobin
CAS Registry Number: 33579-45-2
Additional Names: L-Seryl-L-aspartyl-L-asparaginyl-L-asparaginyl-L-glutaminyl-L-glutaminylglycyl-L-lysyl-L-seryl-L-alanyl-L-glutaminyl-L-glutaminylglycylglycyl-L-tyrosinamide
Molecular Formula: C62H97N23O26
Molecular Weight: 1580.57
Percent Composition: C 47.11%, H 6.19%, N 20.38%, O 26.32%
Literature References: Pentadecapeptide, isolated from the brains of rats with acquired fear of the dark, which induces dark avoidance in untrained mice. (From the Greek skotos, dark and phobos, fear.) Thought to be the first isolation, identification and synthesis of one of the "chemical code words" that control memory and learning. See Ungar et al., Nature 238, 198 (1972). Original training, testing and extraction procedures: Ungar et al., ibid. 217, 1259 (1968); eidem, Proc. West. Pharmacol. Soc. 13, 149 (1970). Structural elucidation: Desiderio et al., Chem. Commun. 1971, 432. Synthesis of preliminary structures: Ali et al., Experientia 27, 1138 (1971); eidem, Int. J. Pept. Protein Res. 4, 395 (1972). Solid phase synthesis of revised structure: Parr, Holzer, Z. Physiol. Chem. 352, 1043 (1971); eidem, Experientia 28, 884 (1972). Passive transfer of dark avoidance to mice: Malin, Guttman, Science 178, 1219 (1972); to goldfish: Guttman et al., Nature New Biol. 235, 126 (1972); Bryant et al., Science 177, 635 (1972). Chemistry and critical analysis of published data on scotophobin: Stewart, Nature 238, 202-210 (1972). |