Emitentins

Emitentins are a proposed family of short signaling peptides that are hypothesized to act as intercellular messengers in a subset of eukaryotic microorganisms and aquatic organisms. The term is used in speculative and theoretical discussions and derives from a root meaning to send or emit, reflecting their purported role in dissemination of signals between cells.

Typically described as 6 to 12 amino acids in length, emitentins are suggested to be enriched for hydrophobic residues that promote association with cell membranes. Many accounts note that they can adopt an alpha-helical conformation in lipid environments, and some propose post-translational modifications such as C-terminal amidation that enhance stability and receptor affinity.

Discovery and taxonomy of emitentins remain unsettled. The term appears in several speculative models and narrative reviews, with no consensus on a defined set of sequences or an established biosynthetic pathway. As a result, emitentins are more a conceptual class than a strictly defined biochemical family in current literature.

Biosynthesis is described in theories as ribosomal production from small open reading frames, followed by proteolytic processing or post-translational tailoring. Some models also posit nonribosomal peptide synthetases. The proposed distribution spans a few taxonomic groups in theoretical scenarios, but there is no robust empirical mapping.

Proposed functions include quorum-like coordination, regulation of gene expression, and modulation of stress responses. Mechanistic hypotheses involve specific cell-surface or membrane receptors and downstream signaling pathways, though experimental support is limited and reproducibility remains a central critique. In applied contexts, emitentins feature in synthetic biology simulations and as a case study for minimal signaling modules.