Description
This gene encodes a preproprotein that undergoes proteolytic processing to yield two bioactive peptides, ghrelin and obestatin. The hormone ghrelin plays a role in enhancing appetite and has numerous other biological functions that include stimulating the secretion of growth hormone (somatotropin) from the anterior pituitary gland. Obestatin is thought to be a hormone that functions in decreasing appetite. Mice lacking the encoded protein develop normally and exhibit no gross anatomical abnormalities. This gene encodes distinct isoforms, some or all of which may undergo similar proteolytic processing