New biological aspects of chromogranin A-derived peptides: focus on vasostatins

Chromogranin A (CgA), one component of the granin family, represents the major soluble protein co-stored and co-released with catecholamines, within chromaffin cells secretory granules. It is considered a diagnostic and prognostic marker of several diseases, including a variety of tumours and cardiac heart failure. It also represents a precursor of biologically active fragments, generated after proteolytic cleavage at the level of the multiple pairs of dibasic sites which enrich its sequence. CgA, and its derived fragments show an old evolutionary history being ubiquitously present throughout the animal word, from mammals to invertebrates. Their biological functions include control of hormone production, and several paracrine and autocrine actions mainly attributed to its derived peptides. Two N-terminal fragments, named vasostatins 1 (VS-1: CgA(1-76)) and vasostatin 2 (VS-2: CgA(1-113)) due to their ability to dilate pre-constricted vessels, exert a large spectrum of homeostatic actions, including antifungal and antimicrobial effect, modulation of cell adhesion, and inhibition of parathyroid hormone secretion. Recently, on isolated heart preparations from eel, frog and rat they were shown to act as negative inotropic agents able to counteract the effects of beta-adrenergic stimulation. This short note introduces the abstracts of the contributions at the "International Workshop on Vasostatins and Chromogranin A-derived peptides" (Island of Capri, Italy; September 2005). The Workshop was focused on recent findings on the role of vasostatins (VSs) in cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems, extracellular fluids composition, and innate immunity. Particular attention has been given to the still elusive mechanism of action of these peptides.