Growth Hormone
Growth Hormone research on this page centres on GHRL, the gene encoding the ghrelin and obestatin prepropeptide, also known as MTLRP. Its products, ghrelin and obestatin, are secreted peptides that regulate appetite and energy homeostasis, and ghrelin drives the release of growth hormone (somatotropin). Browse Assay Genie's current range of Growth Hormone research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
The GHRL gene encodes a preproprotein that is cleaved to yield two peptides, ghrelin and obestatin. The UniProt entry, named appetite-regulating hormone, notes that it may have an appetite-reducing effect that decreases food intake, and may reduce gastric emptying and jejunal motility. Ghrelin itself is a powerful appetite stimulant with an important role in energy homeostasis. Its secretion is initiated when the stomach is empty. It then binds the growth hormone secretagogue receptor in the hypothalamus, which results in the secretion of growth hormone (somatotropin).
Ghrelin is thought to regulate several further activities: hunger, reward perception via the mesolimbic pathway, gastric acid secretion, gastrointestinal motility and pancreatic glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Obestatin was first proposed to oppose ghrelin by promoting satiety and reducing food intake, but this action is still debated. More recent reports point to multiple metabolic roles for obestatin, including regulation of adipocyte function and glucose metabolism. The precursor is a secreted protein and belongs to the motilin family. HGNC places it in the neuropeptides gene group, and mouse and rat each have a Ghrl ortholog.
The gene was previously named ghrelin, growth hormone secretagogue receptor ligand, and the ghrelin/obestatin prepropeptide. Alternative splicing produces multiple transcript variants. Antisense transcripts have also been identified for this locus and may potentially regulate expression of the ghrelin-obestatin preproprotein. Together these features make it a useful subject for work on feeding behaviour, endocrine signalling and metabolism.
Ghrelin is a powerful appetite stimulant, and the prepropeptide is central to studies of hunger and energy balance.
Ghrelin binds the growth hormone secretagogue receptor in the hypothalamus, resulting in secretion of growth hormone (somatotropin).
Ghrelin is thought to regulate gastric acid secretion and gastrointestinal motility, and the gene product may reduce gastric emptying and jejunal motility.
Ghrelin is linked to glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, while obestatin may regulate adipocyte function and glucose metabolism.
GHRL encodes a prepropeptide cleaved into ghrelin and obestatin. Ghrelin stimulates appetite and, by binding the growth hormone secretagogue receptor in the hypothalamus, triggers growth hormone secretion. It is also thought to influence reward perception, gastric acid secretion, gastrointestinal motility and insulin secretion.
Aliases include MTLRP, ghrelin and obestatin. Earlier names were ghrelin, growth hormone secretagogue receptor ligand, and ghrelin/obestatin prepropeptide. UniProt lists the protein as appetite-regulating hormone. Alternative splicing gives multiple transcript variants, so check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity and target region.
It was first proposed that obestatin opposes ghrelin by promoting satiety and reducing food intake, but this is still debated. Recent reports suggest several metabolic roles instead, including regulation of adipocyte function and glucose metabolism. Mouse and rat share the orthologous Ghrl gene.
Receptor partners, related peptide hormones and metabolic regulators connected to ghrelin signalling and growth hormone release.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt Q9UBU3; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.