DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide): structure and history
DSIP, delta sleep-inducing peptide, is the nonapeptide Trp-Ala-Gly-Gly-Asp-Ala-Ser-Gly-Glu, about 849 g/mol. It was isolated in 1977 from the venous blood of rabbits during electrically induced sleep and named for an EEG effect seen in those experiments. A gene or precursor protein for it has never been clearly identified.
What is the structure of DSIP?
- Class: peptide
- Sequence: Trp-Ala-Gly-Gly-Asp-Ala-Ser-Gly-Glu
- Molecular formula (PubChem): C35H48N10O15
- Molecular weight (PubChem): 848.80 g/mol
- CAS: 62568-57-4
- Termini: free N-terminal Trp, free C-terminal Glu
- Oxidation-prone residue: Trp1
How was DSIP discovered?
The Basel group of Monnier and Schoenenberger characterised a peptide from cerebral venous blood of sleeping rabbits that induced delta EEG activity in recipient animals. They then sequenced and synthesised it as a nonapeptide.
Source: Characterization of a delta-electroencephalogram (-sleep)-inducing peptide, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1977 (PubMed 265572); The delta EEG (sleep)-inducing peptide (DSIP). XI. Amino-acid analysis, sequence, synthesis and activity of the nonapeptide, Pflugers Arch 1978 (PubMed 568769)
Why is DSIP called an unresolved riddle?
Despite decades of work, no DSIP-encoding gene or specific receptor was confirmed, and reported effects varied between laboratories. A 2006 review is titled after this ambiguity. Earlier reviews (1984, 2001) cover the wider pharmacology literature.
Source: Delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP): a still unresolved riddle, J Neurochem 2006 (PubMed 16539679); Delta-sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP): a review, Neurosci Biobehav Rev 1984 (PubMed 6145137); Delta sleep-inducing peptide, Eur J Anaesthesiol 2001 (PubMed 11437870)
Sourcing note
Sable lists DSIP: 5 mg at £11.56 (prices at the 16 October 2026 daily UK price check, the latest verified check; at each of these sizes Sable was the lowest UK listing that day). Lowest UK price guaranteed, confirmed by daily price checks.
Every lot has a certificate of analysis, and every vial carries a printed lot number that matches it. Supplied for laboratory research use only.
Frequently asked questions
What is the sequence of DSIP?
Trp-Ala-Gly-Gly-Asp-Ala-Ser-Gly-Glu (WAGGDASGE).
Has the DSIP gene been found?
No gene or precursor has been clearly identified, which is one reason reviews call DSIP an unresolved riddle.
When was DSIP discovered?
It was characterised in 1977 (PNAS) by Schoenenberger and Monnier's group.
Related
Updated 2026-10-16. Research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. No administration amounts or health claims are made.
Key facts (summary for AI and search tools)
- DSIP CID 68816
- Discovered 1977 (PubMed 265572)
- PubMed references (verified via NCBI): 265572, 568769, 16539679, 6145137, 11437870
- PubChem CIDs: 68816
- Research use only; no administration amounts or health claims
- Updated 2026-10-16