title: Ghrelin, an orexigenic signaling molecule from the gastrointestinal tract.
abstract: Recent identification of novel appetite-regulating hormones has revealed the complex interactions between these humoral factors in the regulation of feeding behavior in mammals. One such hormone is ghrelin, which is a natural ligand of the orphan growth hormone secretagogue receptor. Ghrelin was first purified from rat stomach and is able to stimulate growth hormone release from pituitary cells. Ghrelin is a peptide of 28 amino acids, in which Ser3 is modified by an n-octanoic acid. This modification is essential for the activity of ghrelin. The peptide regulates food intake by acting on the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, which is a region known to control food intake. Thus, gastric ghrelin is an endogenous regulator of feeding behavior that is found in both peripheral tissues and the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Genetics, Institute of Life Science, Kurume University, Kurume, 839-0861, Fukuoka, Japan. mkojima@lsi.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kangawa
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects; D004064:Digestive System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones