A role for beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in human body-weight regulation.

Abstract

Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) expressing neurons mediate the regulation of orexigenic drive by peripheral hormones such as leptin, cholecystokinin, ghrelin, and insulin. Most research effort has focused on alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) as the predominant POMC-derived neuropeptide in the central regulation of human energy balance and body weight. Here we report a missense mutation within the coding region of the POMC-derived peptide beta-MSH (Y5C-beta-MSH) and its association with early-onset human obesity. In vitro and in vivo data as well as postmortem human brain studies indicate that the POMC-derived neuropeptide beta-MSH plays a critical role in the hypothalamic control of body weight in humans.

• Authors: Heike Biebermann, Tamara R Castañeda, Frank van Landeghem, Andreas von Deimling, Frederike Escher, Georg Brabant, Johannes Hebebrand, Anke Hinney, Matthias H Tschöp, Annette Grüters, Heiko Krude
• Journal: Cell metabolism (Cell Metab) Vol. 3 Issue 2 Pg. 141-6 (Feb 2006) ISSN: 1550-4131 [Print] United States
• PMID: 16459315 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• beta-MSH

Topics

• Amino Acid Sequence
• Base Sequence
• Body Weight (genetics, physiology)
• Energy Metabolism (genetics, physiology)
• Genetic Testing
• Homeostasis (genetics, physiology)
• Humans
• Hypothalamus (metabolism)
• Immunohistochemistry
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Mutation, Missense (genetics)
• Obesity (genetics)
• Sequence Alignment
• Sequence Analysis, DNA
• beta-MSH (genetics)