Urocortin is a protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 that in humans is encoded by the UCN gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

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Urocortin is a potent anorexigenic peptide

Peptide

Peptides are short polymers of amino acid monomers linked by peptide bonds. They are distinguished from proteins on the basis of size, typically containing less than 50 monomer units. The shortest peptides are dipeptides, consisting of two amino acids joined by a single peptide bond...

 of 40 amino acid

Amino acid

Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...

s that induces fed-like motor activity when administered centrally or peripherally in fasted animals. Urocortin belongs to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family that includes CRF

Corticotropin-releasing hormone

Corticotropin-releasing hormone , originally named corticotropin-releasing factor , and also called corticoliberin, is a polypeptide hormone and neurotransmitter involved in the stress response...

, urotensin I, sauvagine, urocortin II

Urocortin II

Urocortin 2 is an endogenous peptide in the corticotrophin-releasing factor family. Immunohistochemistry analysis of human myocytes has shown greater immunoreactivity of Ucn2 in myocytes of the failing heart compared to those of the healthy heart. Researchers suggest this is a result of an...

 and urocortin III

Urocortin III

Urocortin III is a 38 amino acid peptide that is a member of the CRF family of peptides. Unlike Urocortin I, and similar to Urocortin II, Urocortin III is highly selective for the CRF2 receptor and does not show affinity for the CRF binding protein....

. Urocortin is also a potent and long-lasting hypotensive agent and increases coronary blood flow.

Interactions

Urocortin has been shown to interact

Protein-protein interaction

Protein–protein interactions occur when two or more proteins bind together, often to carry out their biological function. Many of the most important molecular processes in the cell such as DNA replication are carried out by large molecular machines that are built from a large number of protein...

 with Corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1

Corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1

Corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 is a protein, also known as CRF1, with the latter now being the IUPHAR-recommended name...

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Further reading

• Inui, Bowers, et al. Ghrelin, appetite, and gastric motility: the emerging role of the stomach as an endocrine organ. FASEB J. 2004 Mar;18(3):439-56. PMID 15003990
• Huang Y, Yao XQ, Lau CW, Chan YC, Tsang SY, Chan FL. Urocortin and cardiovascular protection. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2004 Mar;25(3):257-65.
• Takahashi, Kazuhiro. Translational medicine in fish-derived peptides: From fish endocrinology to human physiology and diseases. Endocrine Journal (Kyoto, Japan) (2004), 51(1), 1-17.