Adaptive stress responses mediated by the endocrine, autonomic, cardiovascular, and immune systems are essential for
the survival of the individual. Initial stress-induced responses provide a vital short-term metabolic lift, but prolonged or
inappropriate exposure to stress can compromise homeostasis, thereby leading to disease. This 'fight or flight' response
is characterized by the activation of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-adrenocorticotropin-glucocorticoid
axis, mediated by the type 1 CRH receptor (OMIM: 122561). In contrast, the type 2 CRH receptor (CRHR2) mediates the stress
coping responses during the recovery phase of stress. Hsu and Hsueh (2001) identified human stresscopin (SCP) and
stresscopin-related peptide (SRP) as specific ligands for CRHR2.
The human SCP gene encodes a preproprotein of 161
amino acids and a putative mature protein of 40 amino acids. The open reading frame contains a signal peptide for
secretion, and the predicted mature region is flanked by potential proteolytic cleavage sites and an alpha-amidation
donor residue.
NCBI Summary:
This gene is a member of the sauvagine/corticotropin-releasing factor/urotensin I family. It is structurally related to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) gene and the encoded product is an endogenous ligand for CRF type 2 receptors. In the brain it may be responsible for the effects of stress on appetite. In spite of the gene family name similarity, the product of this gene has no sequence similarity to urotensin II. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
General function
Ligand, Hormone
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Cellular localization
Secreted
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Ovarian function
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Expression regulated by
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Ovarian localization
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The stresscopin (SCP) and stresscopin-related peptide (SRP) genes are expressed in diverse peripheral tissues
as well as in the central nervous system, including the ovary based on RT-PCR analysis.
Follicle stages
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Increased Circulating Urocortin-3 Levels is Associated with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Temur M et al. (2015) This study was aimed to compare serum Urocortin-3 (UCN3) levels in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and healthy women, and establish what role UCN3 levels play in PCOS. Fifty-two patients with PCOS and 55 healthy women were included in the study, matched for age and BMI. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, hs-CRP, UCN3 and free-testosterone levels of the all participants were measured. HOMA-IR was used to calculate the insulin resistance. Circulating UCN3 levels were significantly increased in women with PCOS than in control subjects (54.49 ± 5.77 vs 51.28 ± 5.86 pmol/L, p=0.005). Serum insulin, hs-CRP, HOMA-IR levels were higher in women with PCOS than in control group. UCN3 levels positively correlated with hs-CRP in PCOS group (r=0.391, p=0.004). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curves were 0.732 (95% CI 0.634-0.830, p<0.001) for UCN3 levels. The optimal cut-off value of UCN3 for detecting PCOS was ≥51.46 pmol/L, at which the sensitivity was 75% and specificity was 68%. Our results suggest that there is a potential link between PCOS and UCN3 levels. The results of this study support the presence of increased UCN3 levels for the association of inflamation with PCOS.//////////////////