Turnbull A V, Rivier C
Clayton Foundation Laboratory of Peptide Biology, Salk Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1997 May;215(1):1-10. doi: 10.3181/00379727-215-44108.
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41-amino acid neuropeptide, which is recognized as a critical mediator of complimentary, stress-related endocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses in mammalian species. CRF belongs to a family of structurally related peptides including frogskin sauvagine and fish urotensin I. The effects of CRF and related peptides are mediated by two distinct receptors, which differ in their anatomical distribution, as well as in their pharmacological characteristics. In addition, CRF is bound with high affinity by a CRF binding protein (CRF-BP), which is a putative inhibitor of CRF action. CRF is probably not the sole endogenous ligand for CRF receptors or the CRF-BP, since a second mammalian member of the CRF family, urocortin, has recently been identified. This article describes recent findings with respect to CRF, its receptors, binding protein, and CRF-related peptides, which provide further insights into the role and mechanisms of CRF action in stress responses.
促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）是一种由41个氨基酸组成的神经肽，被认为是哺乳动物体内与应激相关的内分泌、自主神经和行为反应的关键调节因子。CRF属于一个结构相关肽家族，包括蛙皮素和鱼促尿钠排泄肽I。CRF及相关肽的作用由两种不同的受体介导，这两种受体在解剖分布和药理学特性上均有所不同。此外，CRF与一种CRF结合蛋白（CRF-BP）具有高亲和力结合，CRF-BP可能是CRF作用的抑制剂。由于最近发现了CRF家族的第二个哺乳动物成员——尿皮质素，CRF可能不是CRF受体或CRF-BP的唯一内源性配体。本文描述了关于CRF、其受体、结合蛋白和CRF相关肽的最新研究结果，这些结果为深入了解CRF在应激反应中的作用和机制提供了更多见解。
