Urocortin III is a 38
amino acid
Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha am ...
peptide
Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides.
A ...
that is a member of the
CRF family of peptides. Unlike
Urocortin
Urocortin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''UCN'' gene. Urocortin belongs to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of proteins which includes CRF, urotensin I, sauvagine, urocortin II and urocortin III. Urocortin is invol ...
I, and similar to
Urocortin II
Urocortin 2 (Ucn2) is an endogenous peptide in the corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) family.
Urocortin II is a 38-amino acid peptide that is a member of the CRF family of peptides. Unlike Urocortin I, Urocortin II is highly selective for th ...
, Urocortin III is highly selective for the
CRF2 receptor
Receptor may refer to:
* Sensory receptor, in physiology, any structure which, on receiving environmental stimuli, produces an informative nerve impulse
*Receptor (biochemistry), in biochemistry, a protein molecule that receives and responds to a ...
and does not show affinity for the CRF binding protein.
Urocortin II has been shown to have
anorexigenic
An anorectic or anorexic is a drug which reduces appetite, resulting in lower food consumption, leading to weight loss. By contrast, an appetite stimulant is referred to as orexigenic.
The term is (from the Greek ''ἀν-'' (an-) = "without" and ...
effects and
hypotensive
Hypotension is low blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. Blood pressure is indicated by two numbers, the systolic blood pressure (the top number) and the dias ...
effects similar to Urocortin, but does not induce secretion of
ACTH
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH; also adrenocorticotropin, corticotropin) is a polypeptide tropic hormone produced by and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. It is also used as a medication and diagnostic agent. ACTH is an important co ...
.
Peptide hormones
{{Biochem-stub.