Urocortin

Urocortin
Rendering based on PDB 2RMF.
Available structures PDB 2RMF, 3N96
Identifiers
Symbols	UCN; MGC129974; MGC129975; UI; UROC
External IDs	OMIM: 600945 MGI: 1276123 HomoloGene: 2515 GeneCards: UCN Gene
Gene Ontology Molecular function • G-protein-coupled receptor binding • neuropeptide hormone activity Cellular component • extracellular region • axon • dendrite • neuronal cell body • axon terminus Biological process • inflammatory response • response to oxidative stress • G-protein coupled receptor protein signaling pathway • neuropeptide signaling pathway • female pregnancy • learning or memory • pancreatic juice secretion • positive regulation of cell growth • neuron projection development • response to estradiol stimulus • positive regulation of interleukin-6 production • positive regulation of collagen biosynthetic process • drinking behavior • neuroprotection • positive regulation of translation • positive regulation of DNA replication • negative regulation of blood pressure • positive regulation of vasodilation • response to glucocorticoid stimulus • regulation of synaptic transmission, glutamatergic Sources: Amigo / QuickGO
RNA expression pattern
More reference expression data
Orthologs
Species	Human	Mouse
Entrez	7349	22226
Ensembl	ENSG00000163794	ENSMUSG00000038676
UniProt	P55089	Q14A76
RefSeq (mRNA)	NM_003353.2	NM_021290.2
RefSeq (protein)	NP_003344.1	NP_067265.1
Location (UCSC)	Chr 2: 27.53 – 27.53 Mb	Chr 5: 31.44 – 31.44 Mb
PubMed search	[1]	[2]

Urocortin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UCN gene. This gene is a member of the sauvagine/corticotropin-releasing factor/urotensin I family. It is structurally related to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) gene and the encoded product is an endogenous ligand for CRF type 2 receptors. In the brain, it may be responsible for the effects of stress on appetite. In spite of the gene family name similarity, the product of this gene has no sequence similarity to urotensin II. Urocortin is a potent anorexigenic peptide of 40 amino acids 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, urotensin I, sauvagine, urocortin II and urocortin III. Urocortin is also a potent and long-lasting hypotensive agent and increases coronary blood flow.

Interactions

Urocortin has been shown to interact with Corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1.

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. doi:[http://dx.doi.org/10.1096%2Ffj.03-0641rev 10.1096/fj.03-0641rev 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.
• Adachi T, Schamel WW, Kim KM, et al. (1996). "The specificity of association of the IgD molecule with the accessory proteins BAP31/BAP29 lies in the IgD transmembrane sequence.". EMBO J. 15 (7): 1534–41. PMC 450061. PMID 8612576. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=450061. 
• Iino K, Sasano H, Oki Y, et al. (1997). "Urocortin expression in human pituitary gland and pituitary adenoma.". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 82 (11): 3842–50. doi:10.1210/jc.82.11.3842. PMID 9360550. 
• Gottowik J, Goetschy V, Henriot S, et al. (1998). "Labelling of CRF1 and CRF2 receptors using the novel radioligand, [3H]-urocortin.". Neuropharmacology 36 (10): 1439–46. doi:10.1016/S0028-3908(97)00098-1. PMID 9423932. 
• Bamberger CM, Wald M, Bamberger AM, et al. (1998). "Human lymphocytes produce urocortin, but not corticotropin-releasing hormone.". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 83 (2): 708–11. doi:10.1210/jc.83.2.708. PMID 9467598. 
• Takahashi K, Totsune K, Sone M, et al. (1998). "Regional distribution of urocortin-like immunoreactivity and expression of urocortin mRNA in the human brain.". Peptides 19 (4): 643–7. doi:10.1016/S0196-9781(98)00012-6. PMID 9622018. 
• Iino K, Sasano H, Oki Y, et al. (1999). "Urocortin expression in the human central nervous system.". Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf) 50 (1): 107–14. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2265.1999.00624.x. PMID 10341863. 
• Watanabe F, Oki Y, Ozawa M, et al. (1999). "Urocortin in human placenta and maternal plasma.". Peptides 20 (2): 205–9. doi:10.1016/S0196-9781(98)00175-2. PMID 10422876. 
• Slominski A, Roloff B, Curry J, et al. (2000). "The skin produces urocortin.". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 85 (2): 815–23. doi:10.1210/jc.85.2.815. PMID 10690896. 
• Muramatsu Y, Fukushima K, Iino K, et al. (2001). "Urocortin and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor expression in the human colonic mucosa.". Peptides 21 (12): 1799–809. doi:10.1016/S0196-9781(00)00335-1. PMID 11150640. 
• Muramatsu Y, Sugino N, Suzuki T, et al. (2001). "Urocortin and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor expression in normal cycling human ovaries.". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 86 (3): 1362–9. doi:10.1210/jc.86.3.1362. PMID 11238533. 
• Hsu SY, Hsueh AJ (2001). "Human stresscopin and stresscopin-related peptide are selective ligands for the type 2 corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor.". Nat. Med. 7 (5): 605–11. doi:10.1038/87936. PMID 11329063. 
• Lewis K, Li C, Perrin MH, et al. (2001). "Identification of urocortin III, an additional member of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family with high affinity for the CRF2 receptor.". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 98 (13): 7570–5. doi:10.1073/pnas.121165198. PMC 34709. PMID 11416224. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=34709. 
• Kimura Y, Takahashi K, Totsune K, et al. (2002). "Expression of urocortin and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtypes in the human heart.". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 87 (1): 340–6. doi:10.1210/jc.87.1.340. PMID 11788672. 
• Florio P, Arcuri F, Ciarmela P, et al. (2002). "Identification of urocortin mRNA and peptide in the human endometrium.". J. Endocrinol. 173 (2): R9–14. doi:10.1677/joe.0.173R009. PMID 12010647. 
• Arcuri F, Cintorino M, Florio P, et al. (2002). "Expression of urocortin mRNA and peptide in the human prostate and in prostatic adenocarcinoma.". Prostate 52 (3): 167–72. doi:10.1002/pros.10094. PMID 12111693. 
• Ikeda K, Tojo K, Oki Y, Nakao K (2002). "Urocortin has cell-proliferative effects on cardiac non-myocytes.". Life Sci. 71 (16): 1929–38. doi:10.1016/S0024-3205(02)01945-8. PMID 12175707. 
• Strausberg RL, Feingold EA, Grouse LH, et al. (2003). "Generation and initial analysis of more than 15,000 full-length human and mouse cDNA sequences.". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99 (26): 16899–903. doi:10.1073/pnas.242603899. PMC 139241. PMID 12477932. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=139241.