title: The discovery of ghrelin--a personal memory.
abstract: The endogenous ligand for growth-hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) was purified from the stomach and named it "ghrelin," after the word root "ghre" in Proto-Indo-European languages meaning "grow", since ghrelin has potent growth hormone (GH) releasing activity. Ghrelin plays important roles for maintaining growth hormone release and energy homeostasis in vertebrates. In this essay, I described my personal memory on the discovery of ghrelin in the year 1999.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Genetics, Institute of Life Science, Kurume University, Hyakunen-kohen 1-1, Kurume, Fukuoka 839-0864, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
mesh_terms: D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D008024:Ligands