Maxadilan, the vasodilator from sand flies, is a specific pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide type I receptor agonist.

Abstract	Maxadilan is a potent vasodilator peptide isolated from salivary gland lysates of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis, a vector of leishmaniasis. The peptide aids the fly in obtaining blood from the skin of its vertebrate hosts but the mammalian receptor through which this insect ligand acts was unknown. We demonstrate that maxadilan is an agonist of the type I receptor for pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide, a neuropeptide with vascular activity. This surprising observation is a unique example of convergent evolution from a functional standpoint as these two peptides do not share significant sequence homology.
Authors	O Moro, E A Lerner
Journal	The Journal of biological chemistry (J Biol Chem) Vol. 272 Issue 2 Pg. 966-70 (Jan 10 1997) ISSN: 0021-9258 [Print] United States
PMID	8995389 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)
Chemical References	Insect Hormones Insect Proteins Neuropeptides Neurotransmitter Agents Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide, Type I Receptors, Pituitary Hormone Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Vasodilator Agents maxadilan protein, insect Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Cyclic AMP Adenylyl Cyclases
Topics	Adenylyl Cyclases (metabolism) Amino Acid Sequence Animals Binding, Competitive COS Cells Cyclic AMP (metabolism) Enzyme Activation Insect Hormones (metabolism) Insect Proteins Molecular Sequence Data Neuropeptides (metabolism) Neurotransmitter Agents (metabolism) Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide Psychodidae Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide, Type I Receptors, Pituitary Hormone (metabolism) Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (metabolism) Sequence Alignment Transfection Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (metabolism) Vasodilator Agents (metabolism)

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