This article contains structure and pharmacological characteristics of melanocortin receptors (MCRs) related to research published in "Characterization of melanocortin receptors from stingray Dasyatis akajei, a cartilaginous fish" (Takahashi et al., 2016) [1]. The amino acid sequences of the stingray, D. akajei, MC1R, MC2R, MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R were aligned with the corresponding melanocortin r...

The adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is a pituitary hormone derived from a larger peptide, the proopiomelanocortin (POMC), as are the MSHs (α-MSH, β-MSH, and γ-MSH) and the β-LPH-related polypeptides (Figure 1A). ACTH drives adrenal steroidogenesis and growth of the adrenal gland. ACTH is a 39 amino acid polypeptide that binds and activates its cognate receptor [melanocortin receptor 2 (MC2R)...

Familial glucocorticoid deficiency (FGD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe glucocorticoid deficiency associated with failure of adrenal responsiveness to ACTH but no mineralocorticoid deficiency. We report a 2 month-old boy of nonconsanguineous parents, presented with hyperpigmentation. Physical examination showed diffuse dark skin of body including, oral mucosa, gu...

important role in the maintenance of the differentiated functions of these organs, and is essential for the expression of all steroidogenic CYPs (Parker & Schimmer, 1997). It is also required for the expression of other genes involved in steroid hormone synthesis such as steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase /Δ5-Δ4 isomerase (HSD3B) and the ACTH receptor...

AIM We performed an epigenome-wide association study within the Finnish Health in Teens cohort to identify differential DNA methylation and its association with BMI in adolescents. MATERIALS & METHODS Differential DNA methylation analyses of 3.1 million CpG sites were performed in saliva samples from 50 lean and 50 heavy adolescent girls by genome-wide targeted bisulfite-sequencing. RESULTS...

Premature adrenarche (PA) is defined as adrenarcheal levels of adrenal androgens before the age of 8 yrs in girls and the age of 9 yrs in boys leading to androgenic signs ranging from pubarche to oily skin and adult type body odor. PA has been connected with adverse metabolic features and increased risk for ovarian hyperandrogenism. The pathogenesis of PA is considered polygenic. However, under...

Coincidentally, the release of this Research Topic in Frontiers in Endocrinology takes place 25 years after the discovery of the adrenocorticotropic hormone receptor (ACTHR) by Mountjoy and colleagues. In subsequent years, following the discovery of other types of mammalian melanocortin receptors (MCRs), ACTHR also became known as melanocortin type 2 receptor (MC2R). At present, five types of M...