Proopiomelanocortin

The human POMC is a protein and prohormone that consists of 241 amino acids. The coding gene is located on the chromosome section 2 p23.3.

POMC is produced in the corticotropic cells of the adenohypophysis, hypothalamus, placenta (and various epithelia) by stimulation of CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone). The "prohormone" is processed posttranslationally into various active peptide hormones by conversion. So in:

• Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)
• Melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSH): α-MSH, β-MSH and γ-MSH
• Corticotropin-like intermediate peptides (CLIP)
• β -Lipotropin (β -LPH)
• γ-Lipotropin (γ-LPH)
• β-Endorphin (see endorphins below)

In the adenohypophysis, ACTH and β-lipotropin is cleaved off, in the intermediate lobe of the pituitary CLIP, α-MSH, γ-LPH and β-endorphin.

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) deficiencies due to mutations in the POMC gene have been described (Çetinkaya S et al. 2018).

1. Clark AJ (2016) 60 YEARS OF POMC: The proopiomelanocortin gene: discovery, deletion and disease. J mol endocrinol 56:T27-37.
2. Çetinkaya S et al (2018) A Patient with Proopiomelanocortin Deficiency: An Increasingly Important Diagnosis to Make. J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol 10:68-73.