Neurotransmitter-Inhibitor Peptide
Definition
A cosmetic-chemistry class described as interfering with transmitter release at the neuromuscular junction, with acetyl hexapeptide-8 and acetyl octapeptide-3 the usual members. Published support is mostly in vitro and in manufacturer studies.
What this means for research sourcing
Structure and identity terms are what a certificate of analysis is written in. Every Volta compound ships with its sequence, molecular weight and measured purity, so these terms map directly onto the specification on the product page.
Related Terms in Chemistry & Structure
Copper Tripeptide-1
The INCI name for GHK-Cu, the glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper complex. The two names denote one molecule, and which appears depends on whether the document is a cosmetic ingredient list or a research paper.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
The INCI name for the six-residue sequence marketed as Argireline. Acetyl hexapeptide-3 appears in older listings for the same material, so two names in a label archive do not mean two ingredients.
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
The INCI name for the palmitoylated five-residue sequence sold as Matrixyl. The palmitoyl group is a lipid tail added to help a hydrophilic peptide associate with the stratum corneum.
Bioactive Peptide
A peptide that produces a measurable response in living cells, as distinct from one that is merely present. The term is used loosely across food science, cosmetics and pharmacology, so it carries no implication about how strong the evidence is.
Peptide Hormone
A peptide the body releases into circulation to act on distant tissue. Insulin, glucagon, growth hormone and GLP-1 are all peptide hormones, and most of the metabolic research compounds in this field are analogues of one of them.
Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide
A short peptide encoded within mitochondrial DNA rather than in the nucleus, MOTS-c and humanin being the best known. Their existence is why the mitochondrial genome is now discussed as a signalling genome and not only a respiratory one.
Signal Peptide (Targeting Sequence)
A short stretch at the start of a newly made protein that routes it to the right compartment and is then cleaved off. It is unrelated to a signaling peptide, which is a finished molecule that carries a message between cells; the two terms are a standing source of confusion.
Dalton (Da)
The unit of molecular mass, one twelfth the mass of a carbon-12 atom. Peptides are quoted in daltons and proteins usually in kilodaltons, and the figure on a certificate is the monoisotopic or average mass depending on the method.