Evolution of proopiomelanocortin.

Evolution of proopiomelanocortin. Vitam Horm. 2019;111:1-16 Authors: Rocha A, Godino-Gimeno A, Cerdá-Reverter JM Abstract Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) belongs to the opioid/orphanin gene family whose peptide precursors include either opioid (YGGF) or the orphanin/nociceptin core sequences (FGGF). In addition to POMC the family includes the proenkephalin (PENK), prodynorphin (PDYN), and nociceptin/proorphanin (PNOC) precursors. The opioid core sequence in POMC is incorporated by the β-endorphin that occupies the C-terminal region but this propeptide also exhibits at least two "alien" melanocortin core sequences (HFRW). An ACTH/MSH fragment merged into the opioid fragment not earlier than the two tetraploidizations of the vertebrate genome. Therefore, POMC exhibit a complex "evolutionary life" since the gene has coevolved together with two different receptor systems, i.e., opioid and melanocortin following a horse trading system. In this article, we summarize the different evolutionary hypotheses proposed for POMC evolution. PMID: 31421696 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Vitamins and Hormones - Category: Endocrinology Authors: Tags: Vitam Horm Source Type: research