Neurophysin I is a carrier protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 with a size of 10 KDa

Atomic mass unit

The unified atomic mass unit or dalton is a unit that is used for indicating mass on an atomic or molecular scale. It is defined as one twelfth of the rest mass of an unbound neutral atom of carbon-12 in its nuclear and electronic ground state, and has a value of...

 and containing 90 to 97 aminoacids that is a cleavage product (formed by splitting of a compound molecule into a simpler one) of preprooxyphysin. It is a neurohypophysial hormone

Hormone

A hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one...

 that is transported in vesicles with oxytocin

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is a mammalian hormone that acts primarily as a neuromodulator in the brain.Oxytocin is best known for its roles in sexual reproduction, in particular during and after childbirth...

, the other cleavage product, along axon

Axon

An axon is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body or soma....

s, from magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamus

Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions...

 to the posterior lobe of the pituitary. Although it is stored in secretory vesicles with oxytocin and released with oxytocin, its biological action is unclear.

Structure

The amino acid sequence of Neurophysin I is:

NH₂ - Ala - Ala - Pro - Asp - Leu - Asp - Val - Arg - Lys - Cys - Leu - Pro - Cys - Gly - Pro - Gly - Gly - Lys - Gly - Arg - Cys - Phe - Gly - Pro - Asn - Ile - Cys - Cys - Ala - Glu - Glu - Leu - Gly - Cys - Phe - Val - Gly - Thr - Ala - Glu - Ala - Leu - Arg - Cys - Gln - Glu - Glu - Asn - Tyr - Leu - Pro - Ser - Pro - Cys - Gln - Ser - Gly - Gln - Lys - Ala - Cys - Gly - Ser - Gly - Gly - Arg - Cys - Ala - Val - Leu - Gly - Leu - Cys - Cys - Ser - Pro - Asp - Gly - Cys - His - Ala - Asp - Pro - Ala - Cys - Asp - Ala - Glu - Ala - Thr - Phe - Ser - Gln – Arg - OH

(Disulfide bridge: 10-54; 13-27; 21-44; 28-34; 61-73; 67-85; 74-79)

Function

Neurophysins are carrier proteins for oxytocin and vasopressin (ADH). Oxytocin and vasopressin are carried by unique neurophysins from their site of production in the cell bodies of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei to their site of release in the axon terminals of the posterior pituitary.