Natriuretic Peptides, Their Receptors and Therapeutic Applications

Natriuretic peptides are an ancient family of hormones/paracrine factors that regulate blood pressure, cardiovascular homeostasis, and long bone growth. The mammalian family consists of atrial natriuretic peptide, B-type natriuretic peptide, and C-type natriuretic peptide. All three peptides are derived from separate genes, but share a common 17-amino-acid disulfide ring that is required for biological activity. A family of three cell-surface receptors binds natriuretic peptides. Two are receptor guanylyl cyclases, enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of the intracellular second messenger, cyclic guanosine mononucleotide, whereas one is a clearance receptor that controls local natriuretic peptide concentrations via constitutive receptor-mediated endocytosis. In this article, the structure, function, and regulation of each hormone and receptor are discussed.