Document Detail


Ghrelin: structure and function.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15788704     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Small synthetic molecules called growth hormone secretagogues (GHSs) stimulate the release of growth hormone (GH) from the pituitary. They act through the GHS-R, a G protein-coupled receptor whose ligand has only been discovered recently. Using a reverse pharmacology paradigm with a stable cell line expressing GHS-R, we purified an endogenous ligand for GHS-R from rat stomach and named it "ghrelin," after a word root ("ghre") in Proto-Indo-European languages meaning "grow." Ghrelin is a peptide hormone in which the third amino acid, usually a serine but in some species a threonine, is modified by a fatty acid; this modification is essential for ghrelin's activity. The discovery of ghrelin indicates that the release of GH from the pituitary might be regulated not only by hypothalamic GH-releasing hormone, but also by ghrelin derived from the stomach. In addition, ghrelin stimulates appetite by acting on the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, a region known to control food intake. Ghrelin is orexigenic; it is secreted from the stomach and circulates in the bloodstream under fasting conditions, indicating that it transmits a hunger signal from the periphery to the central nervous system. Taking into account all these activities, ghrelin plays important roles for maintaining GH release and energy homeostasis in vertebrates.
Authors:
Masayasu Kojima; Kenji Kangawa
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Physiological reviews     Volume:  85     ISSN:  0031-9333     ISO Abbreviation:  Physiol. Rev.     Publication Date:  2005 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-03-24     Completed Date:  2005-04-14     Revised Date:  2007-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0231714     Medline TA:  Physiol Rev     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  495-522     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Molecular Genetics, Institute of Life Science, Kurume University, Hyakunenkouen 1-1, Kurume, Fukuoka 839-0864, Japan. mkojima@lsi.kurume-u.ac.jp
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Ghrelin
Humans
Molecular Sequence Data
Peptide Hormones / chemistry*,  genetics,  metabolism,  physiology*
Structure-Activity Relationship
Tissue Distribution
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Ghrelin; 0/Peptide Hormones

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