Rattin

A novel rat gene, Rattin, encodes a peptide homologous to Humanin, a secreted peptide that specifically protects against neuronal cell death induced by beta-amyloid peptide or by mutations causing early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease. Rattin is the prototype of a novel class of peptides, phylogenetically related to Humanin, endowed with protective activity not only against beta-amyloid peptide but also toward excitotoxic neuronal death. The rat gene, Rattin, encodes a peptide of 38 residues (15 residues longer than Humanin) showing 73% identity in the conserved region to Humanin.

Western blot performed from 100 ng of synthetic Rattin peptide and from 50 mg of total lysates of 293 T cells transfected with plasmids encoding GFP-Rattin