CRF - Definition and Overview

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), also called corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) or corticoliberin, is a polypeptide hormone involved in the stress response.

It is produced by the hypothalamus and stimulates corticotropic cells of the anterior lobe of the pituitary to produce ACTH and other biologically active substances (for example β-endorphin). CRH is also synthesized by the placenta and seems to determine the duration of pregnancy.

CRH is a hypophysiotropin that has behavioral effects at the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, the central nucleus of the amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and at the locus coeruleus. Release of CRH is affected by serum levels of cortisol, by stress and by the sleep/wake cycle.

The 41-amino acid sequence of CRH was first determined by Shibahara in 1983.

Ser - Glu - Glu - Pro - Pro - Ile - Ser - Leu - Asp - Leu - Thr - Phe - His - Leu - Leu - Arg - Glu - Val - Leu - Glu - Met - Ala - Arg - Ala - Glu - Gln - Leu - Ala - Gln - Gln - Ala - His - Ser - Asn - Arg - Lys - Leu - Met - Glu - Ile - IleNH2

See also

• Proopiomelanocortin
• Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
• ACTH