[4] A gene on human chromosome 10p15 at location 5.40 Mb encodes the urocortin, UCN III, which has been discovered more recently.
[5] Mature UCN III with 38 or 41 amino acids would be produced by proteolytic cleavage between arginine- or threonine-lysine residues.
[12] Genes for mentioned proteins can perform a multitude of tasks in a wide range of animals due to differences in their expression patterns and receptor affinities.
[19] After triggering the receptors in the cerebral endothelial cells, UCN III crosses the blood–brain barrier, as demonstrated by a transneuronal tracer injection into the ventral pre-mammillary nucleus of the rat brain.
[23][20][24][17] The endocrine, autonomic, and behavioral reactions to stress are all regulated by the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system, which is widely recognized for this function.
[26] The origin of projection to the midbrain's median amygdala region is the ventral pre-mammillary nucleus, which exhibited high UCN III positivity.
[16][23][27] The confirmation of UCN III 's essential role in numerous brain activities linked to anxiety, such as aggression and sexual behaviors, comes from its engagement in this circuit.
Cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other stress-related health issues are thought to be associated with dysregulation of this peptide/receptor axis.
To develop a workable clinical laboratory diagnostic, it is crucial to comprehend the physiology and measurement of the UCN III /CRHR2 axis.