Abstract
Phoenixin (PNX) neuropeptide is a cleaved product of the Smim20 protein. Its most common isoforms are the 14- and 20-amino acid peptides. The biological functions of PNX are mediated via the activation of the GPR173 receptor. PNX plays an important role in the central nervous system (CNS) and in the female reproductive system where it potentiates LH secretion and controls the estrus cycle. Moreover, it stimulates oocyte maturation and increases the number of ovulated oocytes. Nevertheless, PNX not only regulates the reproduction system but also exerts anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, and cell-protective effects. Furthermore, it is involved in behavior, food intake, sensory perception, memory, and energy metabolism. Outside the CNS, PNX exerts its effects on the heart, ovaries, adipose tissue, and pancreatic islets. This review presents all the currently available studies demonstrating the pleiotropic effects of PNX.
Highlights
The diverse biological effects of neuropeptides are of wide interest to researchers
The results showed that G protein-coupled receptor 173 (GPR173) mRNA is expressed in rodent white preadipocytes as well as mature adipocytes [7]
PNX is implicated in reproduction, behavior, memory, sensory processes, fluid homeostasis, food intake, and glucose as well as in lipid metabolism (Figure 2)
Summary
The diverse biological effects of neuropeptides are of wide interest to researchers. Different identification strategies allow the discovery of novel peptides, including identification from biological activities, receptor or genomic approaches [1]. Based on bioinformatic analyses of evolutionary conserved sequences peptides, Samson et al, in 2008 discovered neuronostatin [2] and five years later, the same team identified phoenixin (PNX) [3] It has not yet been ten years since many studies have shown that PNX exerts a variety of biological effects. It is worth noting that initial PNX studies focused on its role in the reproduction system [3,4], no less important effects were observed, e.g., in memory and anxiety [5,6], as well as in glucose and lipid metabolism [7,8] Some of these bioactivities exhibit features similar to other neuropeptides like orexins [9], ghrelin [10], or kisspeptin [11]. Considering the broad spectrum of PNX activities and its expanding research area, in this review, we describe all currently known PNX biological effects
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