Neurochemicals and Superman villains

Patsy Dickinson, I always like talking to you at meetings. But couldn’t you and your team have given the new peptide a name that a human being might actually have a prayer of remembering? Or, you know, pronouncing?

SYWKQCAFNAVSCFamide?!

It’s the Mr. Mxyzptlk of neurochemicals.

I wonder what will happen if I say the name of the chemical backwards...

Reference

Dickinson PS, Wiwatpanit T, Gabranski ER, Ackerman RJ, Stevens JS, Cashman CR, Stemmler EA, Christie AE. 2009. Identification of SYWKQCAFNAVSCFamide: a broadly conserved crustacean C-type allatostatin-like peptide with both neuromodulatory and cardioactive properties. The Journal of Experimental Biology 212: 1140-1152. doi: 10.1242/jeb.028621