Molecular biology of atrial natriuretic peptides

Recent identification of atrial natriuretic peptides (ANP) in the mammalian heart demonstrated that the heart functions not only as a pump impelling the blood but also as an endocrine organ that secretes the hormone controlling body fluid volume, electrolyte balance, and blood pressure. The biochemical features of the atrial natriuretic hormones now begin to emerge on the basis of the identification of ANP and the cloning of complementary DNA encoding their precursors in mammals. The current status of the molecular biology of ANP is reviewed.