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Receptor Biology and Signal Transduction

SAT-246 - Copeptin - a long-ignored peptide hormone

Saturday, June 13, 2026
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM CT
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a hypothalamic peptide hormone which controls water resorption and blood pressure via its renal and vascular receptors, respectively. It also participates in regulating stress erythropoiesis. Vasopressin is made as part of a prohormone that includes a C-terminal glycopeptide, Copeptin (CP), which is highly conserved among vertebrates suggesting that it may function on its own.

We asked whether copeptin plays a role in hematopoiesis. Using in vitro and in vivo approaches, we found that this was indeed the case. Giving CP to mice had a significant effect on the number and size of circulating platelets, and treating platelets from healthy human volunteers with CP drove their aggregation, an action that seemed to result from an increase in intracellular calcium. AVP alone is known to aggregate platelets and this effect was greater when CP and AVP were given together. Vasopressin’s effect on platelets is known to be mediated by AVPR1A receptor activation but the mechanism responsible for CP-induced aggregation remains to be determined.

Our findings suggest that unidentified copeptin receptor/s are present on platelets. We are now working on identifying the CP receptor. When we characterize it, we will look for its distribution in body tissues. This should help us understand the physiological importance of CP.

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