Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0606, USA. nicholsr@umich.edu
Structural data are critical for the elucidation of how peptides are synthesized and how they function. Two recent studies have used nanoscale chromatography together with mass spectrometry to determine the structures of novel neuropeptides in rat and Drosophila. The results shed light on neuropeptide synthesis and function(s) in both vertebrates and insects.