Kisspeptin-10 is a ten-residue peptide whose history runs through a gene found in cancer research, a receptor that had no known ligand, and a naming change that still confuses literature searches. This profile untangles those names and describes the compound for lab use.
What Kisspeptin-10 Is
Kisspeptin-10 (KP-10) is the shortest of the active C-terminal fragments of kisspeptin, the peptide family encoded by the KISS1 gene. Kirby and colleagues (2010) list KP-54, KP-14, KP-13 and KP-10, and describe KP-10 as the smallest active fragment. All of them end in an Arg-Phe amide (RF-amide) group at the C-terminus.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Sequence | Tyr-Asn-Trp-Asn-Ser-Phe-Gly-Leu-Arg-Phe (YNWNSFGLRF), C-terminal amide |
| Position in precursor | residues 112–121 (UniProt Q15726) |
| Length | 10 residues |
| Approximate mass | about 1.30 kDa (our calculation from the sequence, amidated) |
| Family | RF-amide peptides |
A Naming History
- 1996: Lee and colleagues isolated a cDNA they called KiSS-1 from melanoma cells whose ability to metastasize had been suppressed, and described it as a metastasis-suppressor gene. A correction to that paper was published in 1997.
- 2001: Two groups independently found the peptide product. Ohtaki and colleagues isolated a 54-residue amidated peptide from human placenta and called it metastin. Kotani and colleagues isolated 54-, 14- and 13-residue peptides with a shared RF-amide end and called them kisspeptins.
- 2010: Kirby and colleagues, writing for the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, set out the nomenclature: the receptor, formerly GPR54, is now the kisspeptin receptor (gene KISS1R), and the endogenous ligand is kisspeptin-54, not metastin.
If you search for older papers, search under all of these names: KiSS-1, metastin, GPR54, hOT7T175, KISS1R.
What Cell Studies Have Examined
In the 2001 Kotani study, kisspeptins bound the receptor expressed in cultured hamster cells with low-nanomolar affinity and, in those cells, triggered calcium mobilization, phospholipase C activity (PIP2 hydrolysis), ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation, and stress-fiber formation while reducing proliferation. Kirby and colleagues' review states that receptor activation couples through G(q/11) and the phospholipase C pathway.
A 2003 human-genetics study by de Roux and colleagues, which mapped a loss-of-function change in the receptor gene in one family, is part of the background that Kirby and colleagues' review draws on when describing the receptor's role in reproductive biology. It is mentioned here only as published background.
These are cell culture studies and receptor biology. They are not evidence of any effect in people.
What This Means at the Bench
- Fragment versus full length. KP-10, KP-13, KP-14 and KP-54 share the C-terminal end but differ in length, so results from one do not automatically transfer to another.
- Amidation matters. The C-terminal amide is part of the active structure described in the papers, so a free-acid version is a different molecule.
- Receptor system. Check whether a study used a transfected cell line or cells that naturally express the receptor.
If You Source This Compound for Research
- Ask for an analytical report with the lot number, observed mass (expect about 1.30 kDa for the amidated peptide) and HPLC purity.
- Confirm the report states the C-terminal amide.
- Store lyophilized material cold, dry and away from light. See Storing Lyophilized Peptides in the Lab and How to Read a Peptide Analytical Report.
FAQ
Is kisspeptin the same as metastin? They name the same peptide family. Metastin was the first name used for the 54-residue form, and kisspeptin-54 is now the standard name.
What does "RF-amide" mean? The peptide ends in arginine and phenylalanine, with an amide group on the C-terminus.
What is GPR54? The former name of the kisspeptin receptor, now called KISS1R.
Sources
- Lee JH et al. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1996. PubMed 8944003: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8944003/
- Ohtaki T et al. Nature, 2001. PubMed 11385580: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11385580/
- Kotani M et al. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2001. PubMed 11457843: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11457843/
- de Roux N et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2003. PubMed 12944565: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12944565/
- Kirby HR et al. Pharmacological Reviews, 2010. PubMed 21079036: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21079036/
- UniProt entry Q15726 (KISS1 sequence): https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q15726
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