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Updated: Sep 28, 2026

Investigating Mast Cell Secretory Granules; from Biosynthesis to Exocytosis
Published on: January 26, 2015
WE-14, a chromogranin a-derived neuropeptide
W J Curry1, S C Barkatullah, A N Johansson
1Department of Ophthalmology and School of Clinical Medicine, Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. j.w.curry@qub.ac.uk
Abstract:
The neuropeptide WE-14 is derived from the posttranslational processing of chromogranin A (CgA). While CgA is expressed in a preponderance of neuroendocrine cells, WE-14 is generated in a distinct subpopulation of CgA-immunopositive cells, most notably in the adrenal, pituitary, and parathyroid glands. Physiological and pharmacological studies have demonstrated that CgA is cleaved to generate WE-14 in the adrenal chromaffin cell population and in the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells of the oxyntic mucosa. Pathological analyses of neuroendocrine tumors have revealed a heterogeneous pattern of WE-14 immunostaining, with variable concentrations quantified and chromatographically resolved in tissue extracts. Phylogenetic surveys have demonstrated that WE-14 exhibits an ancient lineage, while ontogenetic examination has shown that it is generated at an early stage during fetal development. Putative WE-14 receptor binding sites have been identified in several tissues; however, the physiological role of WE-14 remains enigmatic.
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