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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Characterization of G Protein-coupled Receptors by a Fluorescence-based Calcium Mobilization Assay
Published on: July 28, 2014
The receptor for the orexigenic peptide melanin-concentrating hormone is a G-protein-coupled receptor
1AstraZeneca R&D Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
Abstract:
Gene-knockout studies of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and its effect on feeding and energy balance have firmly established MCH as an orexigenic (appetite-stimulating) peptide hormone. Here we identify MCH as the ligand for the orphan receptor SLC-1. The rat SLC-1 is activated by nanomolar concentrations of MCH and is coupled to the G protein G alpha i/o. The pattern of SLC-1 messenger RNA expression coincides with the distribution of MCH-containing nerve terminals and is consistent with the known central effects of MCH. Our identification of an MCH receptor could have implications for the development of new anti-obesity therapies.
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