Molecular characterization of a ghrelin-l-aptamer complex

The orexigenic peptide ghrelin is involved in various and vital physiological processes such as food uptake, regulation of body weight and glucose metabolism. At Ser3 ghrelin is modified with a fatty acid. This unique posttranslational modification renders ghrelin active to bind to the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR)1a whereas deacylated ghrelin is inactive. The L-aptamer NOX-B11 was identified to specifically bind and neutralize...