Purification and Identification of Neuromedin U as an Endogenous Ligand for an Orphan Receptor GPR66 (FM3)

GPR66 is an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) whose structure is similar to the ghrelin and motilin receptors. We have tried to purify a natural ligand for GPR66 in rat tissues and identified a 23-amino-acid peptide as the endogenous ligand. Sequence analysis revealed the peptide as neuromedin U (NMU), a smooth-muscle-contracting peptide that was first purified from porcine spinal cord by our group. NMU binds to GPR66-expressing cells with high specificity to induce intracellular calcium mobilization. When NMU was injected intracerebroventricularly (ICV) into rats, it potently suppressed food intake. In contrast, ICV injection of NMU-antibody increased food intake. These results suggest that NMU is a potent endogenous anorexic peptide.