Ghrelin: from gene to physiological function.
The discovery of ghrelin has elucidated the role of the stomach as an important organ in the regulation of growth hormone release and energy homeostasis. Ghrelin is orexigenic; it is secreted from the stomach and circulates in the blood stream under fasting conditions, indicating that it transmits a hunger signal from the periphery to the central nervous system. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone, in which serine 3 (threonine 3 in frogs) is modified by an n-octanoic acid; this modification is essential for ghrelin's activity. Recently the enzymes responsible for the processing from the ghrelin precursor to active n-octanoyl-modified ghrelin have been identified. This review surveys the processing pathway from ghrelin gene to mature ghrelin peptide and summarizes our knowledge of the regulatory mechanism of ghrelin secretion and function.
Kojima
Masayasu
M
Molecular Genetics, Institute of Life Science, Kurume University, Hyakunenkouen 1-1, Kurume, Fukuoka, 839-0864, Japan. mkojima@lsi.kurume-u.ac.jp
Kangawa
Kenji
K
D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D051381:Rats; D012694:Serine / Q000737:chemistry; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013912:Threonine / Q000378:metabolism
D000217:Acyltransferases; D054439:Ghrelin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D012694:Serine; D013912:Threonine; C542776:MBOAT4 protein, human