Corticotropin-releasing hormone binding protein (CRH-BP) binds corticotropin-releasing hormone
(CRH) and several related peptide
hormone
A hormone (from the Ancient Greek, Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of cell signaling, signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs or tissues by complex biological processes to regulate physio ...
s (
urocortin
Urocortin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''UCN'' gene. Urocortin belongs to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of proteins which includes CRF, urotensin I, sauvagine, urocortin II and urocortin III. Urocortin is inv ...
1, urotensin 1, and
sauvagine
Sauvagine is a neuropeptide from the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of peptides and is orthologous to the mammalian hormone, urocortin 1, and the teleost fish hormone, urotensin 1. It is 40 amino acids in length, and has the sequence ...
). It is an ancient, highly conserved protein whose origin predates the divergence of
protostome
Protostomia () is the clade of animals once thought to be characterized by the formation of the organism's mouth before its anus during embryonic development. This nature has since been discovered to be extremely variable among Protostomia's memb ...
s and
deuterostome
Deuterostomes (from Greek: ) are bilaterian animals of the superphylum Deuterostomia (), typically characterized by their anus forming before the mouth during embryonic development. Deuterostomia comprises three phyla: Chordata, Echinodermata, ...
s.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) (also known as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) or corticoliberin; corticotropin may also be spelled corticotrophin) is a peptide hormone involved in stress responses. It is a releasing hormone that b ...
(CRH) plays multiple roles in vertebrate species. It is the major hypothalamic releasing factor for pituitary
adrenocorticotropin
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH; also adrenocorticotropin, corticotropin) is a polypeptide tropic hormone produced by and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. It is also used as a medication and diagnostic agent. ACTH is an important ...
secretion,
and is a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator at other sites in the central nervous system. In non-mammalian vertebrates, CRH not only acts as a neurotransmitter and hypophysiotropin, it also acts as a potent
thyrotropin-releasing factor
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is a hypophysiotropic hormone produced by neurons in the hypothalamus that stimulates the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as well as prolactin from the anterior pituitary.
TRH has been used c ...
,
allowing CRH to regulate both the adrenal and thyroid axes, especially in development.
Corticotropin-releasing factor binding protein (CRH-BP) is thought to play an inhibitory role in which it binds CRH and other CRH-like ligands and prevents the activation of CRH receptors
1 and
2. There is however evidence that CRH-BP may also exhibit diverse extra and intracellular roles in a cell specific fashion and at specific times in development.
Human proteins
CRHBP;
References
{{InterPro content, IPR008435
Protein domains