POMC

Function

Corticotropin

Stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol.

Melanocyte-stimulating hormone alpha

Anorexigenic peptide. Increases the pigmentation of skin by increasing melanin production in melanocytes.

Melanocyte-stimulating hormone beta

Increases the pigmentation of skin by increasing melanin production in melanocytes.

Beta-endorphin

Endogenous orexigenic opiate.

Met-enkephalin

Endogenous opiate.

Involvement in disease

Obesity

OBESITY

A condition characterized by an increase of body weight beyond the limitation of skeletal and physical requirements, as the result of excessive accumulation of body fat.

None

Disease susceptibility may be associated with variants affecting the gene represented in this entry.

Obesity, early-onset, with adrenal insufficiency and red hair

OBAIRH

An autosomal recessive disorder characterized by early-onset obesity due to severe hyperphagia, pigmentary abnormalities, mainly pale skin and red hair, and secondary hypocortisolism.

None

The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry.

Post-translational modifications

Specific enzymatic cleavages at paired basic residues yield the different active peptides.

O-glycosylated; reducing sugar is probably N-acetylgalactosamine.

Sequence similarities

Belongs to the POMC family.

Tissue specificity

ACTH and MSH are produced by the pituitary gland.

Cellular localization

• Secreted
• Melanocyte-stimulating hormone alpha and beta-endorphin are stored in separate granules in hypothalamic POMC neurons, suggesting that secretion may be under the control of different regulatory mechanisms.

Alternative names

• Pro-opiomelanocortin
• POMC
• Corticotropin-lipotropin
• POMC

Database links

• entrezGene:5443
• omim:176830
• swissprot:P01189

Target type

Proteins

Primary research area

Neuroscience

Molecular weight

29424Da