UCN2 explained

Urocortin-2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UCN2 gene.^{[1] [2]}

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.^[3]

Further reading

• Hauger RL, Grigoriadis DE, Dallman MF, etal . International Union of Pharmacology. XXXVI. Current status of the nomenclature for receptors for corticotropin-releasing factor and their ligands. . Pharmacol. Rev. . 55 . 1 . 21–6 . 2003 . 12615952 . 10.1124/pr.55.1.3 . 1572317 .
• Florio P, Torres PB, Torricelli M, etal . Human endometrium expresses urocortin II and III messenger RNA and peptides. . Fertil. Steril. . 86 . 6 . 1766–70 . 2006 . 17074339 . 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.05.041 . free .
• Imperatore A, Florio P, Torres PB, etal . Urocortin 2 and urocortin 3 are expressed by the human placenta, deciduas, and fetal membranes. . Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. . 195 . 1 . 288–95 . 2006 . 16626608 . 10.1016/j.ajog.2005.12.048 .
• Isfort RJ, Wang F, Tscheiner M, etal . Modifications of the human urocortin 2 peptide that improve pharmacological properties. . Peptides . 27 . 7 . 1806–13 . 2006 . 16476507 . 10.1016/j.peptides.2006.01.003 . 41513209 .
• Czimmer J, Million M, Taché Y . Urocortin 2 acts centrally to delay gastric emptying through sympathetic pathways while CRF and urocortin 1 inhibitory actions are vagal dependent in rats. . Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. . 290 . 3 . G511–8 . 2006 . 16223946 . 10.1152/ajpgi.00289.2005 . 10157248 . 10.1.1.328.810 .
• Gerhard DS, Wagner L, Feingold EA, etal . The status, quality, and expansion of the NIH full-length cDNA project: the Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC). . Genome Res. . 14 . 10B . 2121–7 . 2004 . 15489334 . 10.1101/gr.2596504 . 528928 .
• Chang CL, Hsu SY . Ancient evolution of stress-regulating peptides in vertebrates. . Peptides . 25 . 10 . 1681–8 . 2005 . 15476935 . 10.1016/j.peptides.2004.05.022 . 25716793 .
• Karteris E, Hillhouse EW, Grammatopoulos D . Urocortin II is expressed in human pregnant myometrial cells and regulates myosin light chain phosphorylation: potential role of the type-2 corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor in the control of myometrial contractility. . Endocrinology . 145 . 2 . 890–900 . 2004 . 14592950 . 10.1210/en.2003-1210 . free .
• Chanalaris A, Lawrence KM, Stephanou A, etal . Protective effects of the urocortin homologues stresscopin (SCP) and stresscopin-related peptide (SRP) against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. . J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. . 35 . 10 . 1295–305 . 2004 . 14519439 . 10.1016/S0022-2828(03)00244-X .
• Strausberg RL, Feingold EA, Grouse LH, etal . 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 . 2003 . 12477932 . 10.1073/pnas.242603899 . 139241 . 2002PNAS...9916899M . free .
• Lewis K, Li C, Perrin MH, etal . 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 . 2001 . 11416224 . 10.1073/pnas.121165198 . 34709 . 2001PNAS...98.7570L . free .
• Reyes TM, Lewis K, Perrin MH, etal . Urocortin II: a member of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neuropeptide family that is selectively bound by type 2 CRF receptors. . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. . 98 . 5 . 2843–8 . 2001 . 11226328 . 10.1073/pnas.051626398 . 30227 . 2001PNAS...98.2843R . free .

Notes and References

1. Hsu SY, Hsueh AJ . Human stresscopin and stresscopin-related peptide are selective ligands for the type 2 corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor . Nat Med . 7 . 5 . 605–11 . Apr 2001 . 11329063 . 10.1038/87936 . 22916906 .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: UCN2 urocortin 2.
3. Web site: Entrez Gene: UCN2 urocortin 2.