Functional diversity of bioactive peptides in the nervous system itself: "how the brain may understand"

The interactions involving cells of the nervous system are a complex form of intercellular communication. Biosynthesis of peptide hormones or active neuropeptides is generally through a precursor which provides increased product choices as a function of the processing pathway. Proteolytic processing as well as other molecular modifications lead to a wide range of mature products which may vary in different tissues even though they are derived from the same precursor. Also the same neuropeptide may exhibit different bioactivities for different target cells. Finally, by means of collective packaging in secretory organelles, a cell may be able by synergism to further broaden its biologic effects. In these ways, what is seen as added complication in the CNS, may be from the point of view of the cell, a successful attempt to increase its survival ability to adapt and influence its bioenvironment.