Lipotropin is a hormone produced by the cleavage of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). The anterior pituitary gland produces the pro-hormone POMC, which undergoes cleavage to adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and β-lipotropin (β-LPH).
β-Lipotropin
β-lipotropin is a 90 amino acid polypeptide that is the carboxy-terminal fragment of POMC.
It stimulates melanocytes to produce melanin, and can also be cleaved into smaller peptides. In humans, γ-lipotropin, α-MSH, β-MSH, γ-MSH, α-endorphin, β-endorphin, γ-endorphin, and met-enkephalin are all possible fragments of β-lipotropin.[1]
β-lipotropin also performs lipid-mobilizing functions such as lipolysis and steroidogenesis.
γ-Lipotropin
γ-lipotropin is the amino-terminal peptide fragment of β-lipotropin. In humans, it has 56 amino acids.
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