UCN3 explained

Urocortin-3 is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the UCN3 gene.^{[1] [2]} It belongs to the corticotropin-releasing hormone family.^[3]

Function

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 humans, it is also expressed by alpha cells and beta cells in the pancreas and is co-released with glucagon and insulin to promote somatostatin release from neighboring delta cells, which provides negative feedback on glucagon and insulin secretion.^[4] In spite of the gene family name similarity, the product of this gene has no sequence similarity to Urotensin-II.^[2]

Further reading

• Hauger RL, Grigoriadis DE, Dallman MF, Plotsky PM, Vale WW, Dautzenberg FM . International Union of Pharmacology. XXXVI. Current status of the nomenclature for receptors for corticotropin-releasing factor and their ligands . Pharmacological Reviews . 55 . 1 . 21–6 . Mar 2003 . 12615952 . 10.1124/pr.55.1.3 . 1572317 .
• Florio P, Torres PB, Torricelli M, Toti P, Vale W, Petraglia F . Human endometrium expresses urocortin II and III messenger RNA and peptides . Fertility and Sterility . 86 . 6 . 1766–70 . Dec 2006 . 17074339 . 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.05.041 . free .
• Imperatore A, Florio P, Torres PB, Torricelli M, Galleri L, Toti P, Occhini R, Picciolini E, Vale W, Petraglia F . Urocortin 2 and urocortin 3 are expressed by the human placenta, deciduas, and fetal membranes . American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology . 195 . 1 . 288–95 . Jul 2006 . 16626608 . 10.1016/j.ajog.2005.12.048 .
• Saruta M, Takahashi K, Suzuki T, Fukuda T, Torii A, Sasano H . Urocortin 3/stresscopin in human colon: possible modulators of gastrointestinal function during stressful conditions . Peptides . 26 . 7 . 1196–206 . Jul 2005 . 15949638 . 10.1016/j.peptides.2005.01.014 . 23604531 .
• Chang CL, Hsu SY . Ancient evolution of stress-regulating peptides in vertebrates . Peptides . 25 . 10 . 1681–8 . Oct 2004 . 15476935 . 10.1016/j.peptides.2004.05.022 . 25716793 .
• Takahashi K, Totsune K, Murakami O, Saruta M, Nakabayashi M, Suzuki T, Sasano H, Shibahara S . Expression of urocortin III/stresscopin in human heart and kidney . The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism . 89 . 4 . 1897–903 . Apr 2004 . 15070962 . 10.1210/jc.2003-031663 . free .
• Seres J, Bornstein SR, Seres P, Willenberg HS, Schulte KM, Scherbaum WA, Ehrhart-Bornstein M . Corticotropin-releasing hormone system in human adipose tissue . The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism . 89 . 2 . 965–70 . Feb 2004 . 14764822 . 10.1210/jc.2003-031299 . free .
• Chanalaris A, Lawrence KM, Stephanou A, Knight RD, Hsu SY, Hsueh AJ, Latchman DS . Protective effects of the urocortin homologues stresscopin (SCP) and stresscopin-related peptide (SRP) against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes . Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology . 35 . 10 . 1295–305 . Oct 2003 . 14519439 . 10.1016/S0022-2828(03)00244-X .
• Hsu SY, Hsueh AJ . Human stresscopin and stresscopin-related peptide are selective ligands for the type 2 corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor . Nature Medicine . 7 . 5 . 605–11 . May 2001 . 11329063 . 10.1038/87936 . 22916906 .

Notes and References

1. Lewis K, Li C, Perrin MH, Blount A, Kunitake K, Donaldson C, Vaughan J, Reyes TM, Gulyas J, Fischer W, Bilezikjian L, Rivier J, Sawchenko PE, Vale WW . Identification of urocortin III, an additional member of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family with high affinity for the CRF2 receptor . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 98 . 13 . 7570–5 . Jun 2001 . 11416224 . 34709 . 10.1073/pnas.121165198 . 2001PNAS...98.7570L . free .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: UCN3 urocortin 3 (stresscopin).
3. Zhang X, Liu Y, Qi J, Tian Z, Tang N, Chen D, Li Z . Progress in understanding the roles of Urocortin3 (UCN3) in the control of appetite from studies using animal models. . Peptides . 2019 . 121 . 170124 . 10.1016/j.peptides.2019.170124 . 31415798 . 199544428 .
4. van der Meulen T, Donaldson CJ, Cáceres E, Hunter AE, Cowing-Zitron C, Pound LD, Adams MW, Zembrzycki A, Grove KL, Huising MO . Urocortin3 mediates somatostatin-dependent negative feedback control of insulin secretion . Nature Medicine . 21 . 7 . 769–76 . Jul 2015 . 26076035 . 10.1038/nm.3872 . 4496282.