For laboratory research use only. Not for human consumption. Not for clinical or therapeutic use. Not evaluated by the FDA.
For laboratory research use only. Not for human consumption. Not for clinical or therapeutic use. Not evaluated by the FDA.
Also known as: MC1R, MC3R, MC4R
Melanocortin receptors (MC1R–MC5R) are a family of receptors involved in pigmentation and neuroendocrine signaling. Agonists such as PT-141 and MT-2 are studied for receptor binding and downstream signaling.
The five subtypes (MC1R–MC5R) are all Gs-coupled G protein-coupled receptors that raise cyclic AMP (cAMP) when activated, but they differ in distribution: MC1R is associated with melanocyte pigmentation, MC3R and MC4R with central neuroendocrine signaling, MC2R with the adrenal response to ACTH, and MC5R with exocrine tissue. Their shared endogenous agonist is alpha-MSH.
Synthetic analogs serve as reference ligands in receptor-binding and cAMP-accumulation assays: PT-141 is an MC4R-preferring agonist, while MT-2 is a nonselective agonist used in pigmentation-pathway research. Mapping subtype selectivity is a central aim of melanocortin-receptor studies.