Nucleobindins: Bioactive precursor proteins encoding putative endocrine factors?

The nucleobindins, nucleobindin 1 (NUCB1) and nucleobindin 2 (NUCB2), are homologous multidomain calcium and DNA binding proteins. NUCB1 is a well-characterized Golgi protein found within the rat pituitary, liver and kidney with functions related to immunity, calcium homeostasis and G protein signal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:General and comparative endocrinology 2012-05, Vol.176 (3), p.341-346
Main Authors: Gonzalez, Ronald, Mohan, Haneesha, Unniappan, Suraj
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
appetite
bioactive properties
Brain
brain stem
calcium
Calcium-Binding Proteins - metabolism
diabetes
digestive tract
DNA-binding proteins
DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism
endocrinology
Endocrinology & Metabolism
energy
etiology
GPCR
homeostasis
Hormone
Humans
hypothalamus
Hypothalamus - metabolism
immunity
insulin secretion
kidneys
liver
Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism
Nesfatin-1
Nucleobindin
obesity
Peptide Hormones - metabolism
peptides
Protein Precursors - metabolism
rats
reproduction
Signal Transduction
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Summary:The nucleobindins, nucleobindin 1 (NUCB1) and nucleobindin 2 (NUCB2), are homologous multidomain calcium and DNA binding proteins. NUCB1 is a well-characterized Golgi protein found within the rat pituitary, liver and kidney with functions related to immunity, calcium homeostasis and G protein signaling. NUCB2 is found both in the hypothalamus and brain stem centers, as well as peripherally in the digestive tract. Renewed interest in the nucleobindins has been sparked by the recent discovery of nesfatin-1, an endocrine factor post-translationally processed from the N-terminal of NUCB2. Nesfatin-1 has quickly established itself as a novel regulator of appetite, insulin secretion, energy homeostasis and reproduction with important consequences to the etiology of metabolic diseases including diabetes and obesity. The discovery of nesfatin-1 and it endocrine functions attracted more attention to the nucleobindins that are already known to have important intracellular functions. From the sequence information available, it is possible that nucelobindins itself or nesfatin-1 like peptides within the NUCB1 could also elicit nesfatin-1-like biological functions. The research on nesfatin-1 in last 5years further adds to the importance of nucleobindins as potential endocrine precursors. This review aims to summarize some of the most recent findings on the functional significance of NUCB1, NUCB2, as well as encoded proteins and highlights the questions that remain unanswered.
ISSN:0016-6480
1095-6840
DOI:10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.11.021