Urocortin
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| Location (UCSC) | Chr 2: 27.31 – 27.31 Mb | Chr 5: 31.3 – 31.3 Mb | |||||||
| PubMed search | [3] | [4] | |||||||
| View/Edit Human | View/Edit Mouse |
Urocortin is a
Structure, localization, and interactions
Urocortin is a peptide composed of 40 amino acids. Urocortin is composed of a single alpha helix structure. The human UCN gene contains two exons, and the entirety of the coding region is contained within the second exon.[5] Urocortin is expressed widely in the central and peripheral nervous systems, with a pattern similar to that of CRF.[8] Areas of similarity between urocortin and CRF expression include the supraoptic nucleus and the hippocampus.[9][10] Urocortin is also expressed in areas distinct from CRF expression; these areas notably include the median eminence, the Edinger-Westphal nucleus, and the sphenoid nucleus.[10] Additionally, Urocortin is expressed in peripheral tissues such as the heart.[11]
Urocortin is known to interact both with the
Stress response and social behavior
Urocortin is closely related to CRF, which mediates the mammalian stress response. Urocortin is consequently implicated in a number of stress responses, primarily relating to appetite and food intake. Administration of urocortin to the central nervous system of mice and rats has been shown to decrease appetite.[16] Additionally, central urocortin treatment increases anxiety-linked behaviors and increases motor activity in mice and rats.[16] These general anxiety-linked behaviors are likely induced through the CRF type 1 receptor, and the appetite behaviors are likely induced through the CRF type 2 receptor. The reduction in appetite from urocortin treatment could be a result of suppression of gastric emptying and/or hypoglycemia, which have been shown to result from urocortin treatment.[17] Urocortin expression is stimulated in response to osmotic stress; water deprivation in rats has been shown to induce urocortin expression in the supraoptic nucleus.[18]
Cardiovascular effects
Urocortin has been shown to induce increases in heart rate and coronary blood flow when applied peripherally.[11] These effects are likely mediated through the CRF type 2 receptor, as this receptor is found in the cardiac atria and ventricles.[20] Urocortin also functions to protect cardiovascular tissue from ischemic injury.[21] Urocortin's cardiovascular effects separate it from other members of the CRF family, and likely represent its primary biological function.
In non-mammals
Urocortin is not present in all non-mammals; the closet analogue in teleost fish is urotensin I.[22] However, in amphibian species such as Xenopus laevis, urocortin is expressed in tissues such as brain, pituitary, kidney, heart, and skin. Urocortin in Xenopus has been shown to increase cAMP accumulation and inhibit appetite[22]
References
- ^ a b c GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000163794 – Ensembl, May 2017
- ^ a b c GRCm38: Ensembl release 89: ENSMUSG00000038676 – Ensembl, May 2017
- ^ "Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- ^ "Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- ^ PMID 9628819.
- PMID 861256.
- ^ "Entrez Gene: UCN urocortin".
- ISBN 978-0-08-055232-3.
- S2CID 15756279.
- ^ S2CID 33000632.
- ^ PMID 12007627.
- ^ S2CID 4373077.
- S2CID 6235036.
- PMID 8612563.
- PMID 10656997.
- ^ S2CID 34797789.
- PMID 24672423.
- S2CID 6006767.
- PMID 16816534.
- PMID 7755719.
- PMID 10722688.
- ^ PMID 16037378.
Further reading
- Inui A, Asakawa A, Bowers CY, Mantovani G, Laviano A, Meguid MM, Fujimiya M (March 2004). "Ghrelin, appetite, and gastric motility: the emerging role of the stomach as an endocrine organ". FASEB Journal. 18 (3): 439–56. S2CID 15642270.
- Huang Y, Yao XQ, Lau CW, Chan YC, Tsang SY, Chan FL (Mar 2004). "Urocortin and cardiovascular protection". Acta Pharmacol. Sin. 25 (3): 257–65. PMID 15000874.
- Takahashi, Kazuhiro (2004). "Translational medicine in fish-derived peptides: From fish endocrinology to human physiology and diseases". Endocrine Journal. 51 (1): 1–17. PMID 15004403.
- Adachi T, Schamel WW, Kim KM, Watanabe T, Becker B, Nielsen PJ, Reth M (April 1996). "The specificity of association of the IgD molecule with the accessory proteins BAP31/BAP29 lies in the IgD transmembrane sequence". The EMBO Journal. 15 (7): 1534–41. PMID 8612576.
- Iino K, Sasano H, Oki Y, Andoh N, Shin RW, Kitamoto T, Totsune K, Takahashi K, Suzuki H, Nagura H, Yoshimi T (November 1997). "Urocortin expression in human pituitary gland and pituitary adenoma". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 82 (11): 3842–50. PMID 9360550.
- Gottowik J, Goetschy V, Henriot S, Kitas E, Fluhman B, Clerc RG, Moreau JL, Monsma FJ, Kilpatrick GJ (October 1997). "Labelling of CRF1 and CRF2 receptors using the novel radioligand, [3H]-urocortin". Neuropharmacology. 36 (10): 1439–46. S2CID 6235036.
- Bamberger CM, Wald M, Bamberger AM, Ergün S, Beil FU, Schulte HM (February 1998). "Human lymphocytes produce urocortin, but not corticotropin-releasing hormone". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 83 (2): 708–11. PMID 9467598.
- Takahashi K, Totsune K, Sone M, Murakami O, Satoh F, Arihara Z, Sasano H, Iino K, Mouri T (1998). "Regional distribution of urocortin-like immunoreactivity and expression of urocortin mRNA in the human brain". Peptides. 19 (4): 643–7. S2CID 45625371.
- Iino K, Sasano H, Oki Y, Andoh N, Shin RW, Kitamoto T, Takahashi K, Suzuki H, Tezuka F, Yoshimi T, Nagura H (January 1999). "Urocortin expression in the human central nervous system". Clinical Endocrinology. 50 (1): 107–14. S2CID 29828148.
- Watanabe F, Oki Y, Ozawa M, Masuzawa M, Iwabuchi M, Yoshimi T, Nishiguchi T, Iino K, Sasano H (1999). "Urocortin in human placenta and maternal plasma". Peptides. 20 (2): 205–9. S2CID 40604220.
- Slominski A, Roloff B, Curry J, Dahiya M, Szczesniewski A, Wortsman J (February 2000). "The skin produces urocortin". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 85 (2): 815–23. PMID 10690896.
- Muramatsu Y, Fukushima K, Iino K, Totsune K, Takahashi K, Suzuki T, Hirasawa G, Takeyama J, Ito M, Nose M, Tashiro A, Hongo M, Oki Y, Nagura H, Sasano H (December 2000). "Urocortin and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor expression in the human colonic mucosa". Peptides. 21 (12): 1799–809. S2CID 561707.
- Muramatsu Y, Sugino N, Suzuki T, Totsune K, Takahashi K, Tashiro A, Hongo M, Oki Y, Sasano H (March 2001). "Urocortin and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor expression in normal cycling human ovaries". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 86 (3): 1362–9. PMID 11238533.
- Hsu SY, Hsueh AJ (May 2001). "Human stresscopin and stresscopin-related peptide are selective ligands for the type 2 corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor". Nature Medicine. 7 (5): 605–11. S2CID 22916906.
- Lewis K, Li C, Perrin MH, Blount A, Kunitake K, Donaldson C, Vaughan J, Reyes TM, Gulyas J, Fischer W, Bilezikjian L, Rivier J, Sawchenko PE, Vale WW (June 2001). "Identification of urocortin III, an additional member of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family with high affinity for the CRF2 receptor". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 98 (13): 7570–5. PMID 11416224.
- Kimura Y, Takahashi K, Totsune K, Muramatsu Y, Kaneko C, Darnel AD, Suzuki T, Ebina M, Nukiwa T, Sasano H (January 2002). "Expression of urocortin and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtypes in the human heart". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 87 (1): 340–6. PMID 11788672.
- Florio P, Arcuri F, Ciarmela P, Runci Y, Romagnoli R, Cintorino M, Di Blasio AM, Petraglia F (May 2002). "Identification of urocortin mRNA and peptide in the human endometrium". The Journal of Endocrinology. 173 (2): R9–14. PMID 12010647.
- Arcuri F, Cintorino M, Florio P, Floccari F, Pergola L, Romagnoli R, Petraglia F, Tosi P, Teresa Del Vecchio M (August 2002). "Expression of urocortin mRNA and peptide in the human prostate and in prostatic adenocarcinoma". The Prostate. 52 (3): 167–72. S2CID 29785784.
- Ikeda K, Tojo K, Oki Y, Nakao K (September 2002). "Urocortin has cell-proliferative effects on cardiac non-myocytes". Life Sciences. 71 (16): 1929–38. PMID 12175707.