1;Preface;5 2;Maturation of Secretory Granules;9 2.1;1 Introduction;9 2.2;2 Formation of ISGs at the TGN;11 2.2.1;2.1 Aggregation;11 2.2.2;2.2 Sorting Motifs and Cargo-Membrane Interaction;12 2.3;3 Transport of Maturing ISGs;14 2.4;4 Mechanistic Insights into ISG Maturation;15 2.4.1;4.1 Homotypic Fusion;16 2.4.2;4.2 Sorting by Retention;16 2.4.3;4.3 Acidification;18 2.5;5 Maturation into Vesicle Pools ;19 2.6;6 Summary;22 2.7;References;22 3;Chromogranins A and B and Secretogranin II as Prohormones for Regulatory Peptides from the Diffuse Neuroendocrine System;29 3.1;1 Introduction;29 3.2;2 Granins and Granin-Derived Peptides;30 3.2.1;2.1 The Prohormone Concept;30 3.2.2;2.2 CgA;31 3.2.3;2.3 CgB;32 3.2.4;2.4 SgII;33 3.3;3 Functional Aspects ;33 3.4;4 Granin Peptides and Targets;36 3.4.1;4.1 Antimicrobial Potencies and Innate Immunity;36 3.4.2;4.2 Inflammatory Conditions;37 3.4.3;4.3 Other Cardiovascular Functions;40 3.4.4;4.4 CgA Peptides as Modulators of Calcium and Carbohydrate Homeostasis;43 3.5;5 Towards a Unifying Concept for Extracellular Functions of CgA, CgB, and SgII;44 3.6;References;46 4;Cell-Specific Precursor Processing;53 4.1;1 Introduction;53 4.2;2 Examples of Cell-Specific Prohormone Processing ;55 4.3;3 Significance of the Cell-Specific Processing in Disease;62 4.4;4 Processing-Independent Analysis;64 4.5;5 Summary;65 4.6;References;66 5;ACTH: Cellular Peptide Hormone Synthesis and Secretory Pathways;71 5.1;1 Introduction;71 5.2;2 POMC Synthesis and Its Regulation;73 5.3;3 POMC Processing: The Peptides Produced and the Cleavage Pathway;74 5.3.1;3.1 Processing of POMC to ACTH;74 5.3.2;3.2 Processing of ACTH by PC2;75 5.3.3;3.3 Post-Translational Processing to Produce aMSH;75 5.4;4 The Secretion of Processed POMC Peptides ;76 5.5;5 Incomplete Processing of POMC: When, How and Why?;84 5.6;6 Conclusion;87 5.7;References;88 6;Neurotensin and Neuromedin N Are Differentially Processed from a Common Precursor by Prohormone Convertases in Tissues and Cell Lines;93 6.1;1 Introduction;93 6.2;2 The Neurotensin Precursor Also Contains Neuromedin N;95 6.3;3 Pro-NT/NN Is Differentially Processed in Tissues and Cell Lines;95 6.3.1;3.1 Differential Processing in the Brain, Gut and Adrenals;96 6.3.2;3.2 Processing in Cell Lines;96 6.4;4 Pro-NT/NN Processing by Prohormone Convertases;98 6.5;5 Involvement of PCs in Pro-NT/NN Processing in Tissues and Cell Lines ;99 6.6;6 Carboxypeptidase E and Dibasic Removal;100 6.7;7 Physio-Pathological Implications;101 6.8;8 Conclusions;102 6.9;References;102 7;Biosynthesis of Cardiac Natriuretic Peptides;105 7.1;1 Introduction;105 7.2;2 Peptide Nomenclature and Biosynthesis;107 7.3;3 The Pre-Translational Phase of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Gene Expression;108 7.4;4 The Primary Structure of ProBNP;110 7.5;5 The Post-Translational Phase of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Gene Expression;111 7.5.1;5.1 Disulphide Bond Formation;111 7.5.2;5.2 Glycosylation;112 7.5.3;5.3 Endoproteolysis;114 7.5.4;5.4 Exoproteolysis;115 7.6;6 Cellular Storage and Secretion;116 7.7;7 ProBNP-Derived Peptides in Plasma;118 7.8;8 Biosynthesis and Assay Calibration;119 7.9;9 Inefficient Prohormone Maturation in Heart Failure;120 7.10;10 Concluding Remarks;121 7.11;References;122 8;Glucagon and Glucagon-Like Peptides 1 and 2;129 8.1;1 Introduction;129 8.2;2 Proglucagon Gene Expression;132 8.3;3 Posttranslational Processing and Chemical Structures;134 8.4;4 Localization of Proglucagon Expression;136 8.5;5 Postsecretory Fate of Proglucagon-Derived Peptides;137 8.6;References;139 9;Somatostatin and Somatostatin Receptors;144 9.1;1 Introduction;144 9.2;2 Somatostatin Processing;146 9.3;3 Somatostatin Distribution;147 9.4;4 Somatostatin Physiology;148 9.5;5 Somatostatin Regulation;150 9.6;6 A New Member in the Somatostatin Family?;151 9.7;7 Somatostatin Receptors;152 9.8;8 Development of Somatostatin Receptor Ligands;154 9.9;9 Somatostatin Receptor Localization;156 9.10;10 Regulation of Somatostatin Receptor Genes;158 9.11;11 Somat