Summary
Proteolytic cleavage of the precursor protein proopiomelanocortin (POMC) has the potential to yield a number of different bioactive peptides. The current status of the possible control points in regulating the bioactive output of POMC-producing cells is considered in this review. Attention is payed to a possible role of glycosylation of POMC in directing the cleavage process but we conclude there is insufficient evidence to support this hypothesis. Detailed attention is also given to the regulatory role of the N-terminal acetylation of two of the POMC-derived peptides, α-melanotropin and β-endorphin. In particular, the possibility is considered that the acetylation process within a POMC-cell could be regulated and thus used to modulate the secretory signal of the cell.
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Jenks, B.G., Leenders, H.J., Verburg-van Kemenade, B.M.L., Tonon, MC., Vaudry, H. (1986). Strategies in the Regulation of Secretory Signals from Proopiomelanocortin-Producing Cells. In: Fink, G., Harmar, A.J., McKerns, K.W. (eds) Neuroendocrine Molecular Biology. Biochemical Endocrinology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5131-3_25
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