alpha-MSH

Melanin production assay

Melanocortin receptor

The product is shipped as a lyophilized powder at room temperature. Upon receipt, store the product at -20°C. Protect from moisture.

1665 Da

A Ligand of Melanocortin G-Protein Coupled Receptor

Centrifuge the vial (10, 000 × g for 5 minutes) before adding solvent to spin down all the powder to the bottom of the vial. The lyophilized product may be difficult to visualize. Add solvent directly to the centrifuged vial. Gently tap, tilt, and roll the vial to aid dissolution. Avoid vigorous vortexing; light vortexing for up to 3 seconds is acceptable if needed. The product is soluble in pure water at high micromolar concentrations (100 µM - 1 mM). For long-term storage in solution, we recommend preparing a stock solution by dissolving the product in double-distilled water (ddH2O) at a concentration between 100-1000x of the final working concentration. Divide the stock solution into small aliquots and store at -20°C. Before use, thaw the relevant vial(s) and dilute to the desired working concentration in your working buffer. Centrifuge all product preparations before use. It is recommended to prepare fresh solutions in working buffers just before use. Avoid multiple freeze-thaw cycles to maintain biological activity.

7, 4

Ser¹- Acetylation

Val¹³- C-terminal amidation

α-MSH is involved in food intake regulation, energy homeostasis, immune responses modulation and photoprotection1-3.

no

α-MSH is a neuropeptide originally isolated from the pituitary gland1. α-MSH is produced by post-translational processing of a precursor protein, proopiomelanocortin (POMC)2. In most vertebrates but not in mammals, α-MSH is produced in the intermediate lobe of the pituitary gland. The biological activities of α-MSH are mediated through a family of five specific G-protein coupled receptors: MCR1, MCR2, MCR3, MCR4, and MCR5. α-MSH is an evolutionarily highly conserved peptide action that induces pigment dispersion in skin melanocytes of amphibians, reptiles and mammals by stimulating melanin production3, 4.However, in human and other mammals, α-MSH acts in the brain in appetite suppression and sexual arousal. Some cases of extreme obesity have been traced to mutated α-MSH receptor in the brain. Presumably, these people are unable to respond to the appetite-suppressing effect of α-MSH5. α-MSH has significant anti-inflammatory properties, mediated through its binding to MCR16 and includes regulation of expression and secretion of chemokines, downregulation of proinflammatory signal-induced NF-kB activation and adhesion molecule expression, prostaglandin E2 synthesis, as well as induction of interleukin-107.