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EntityQ410857· pop 31· linked from 222 articles

Also known as HCRT, NRCLP1, OX, PPOX, hypocretin (orexin) neuropeptide precursor, hypocretin neuropeptide precursor

Orexin (), also known as hypocretin, is a neuropeptide that regulates arousal, wakefulness, and appetite. It exists in the forms of orexin-A and orexin-B. The most common form of narcolepsy, type 1, in which the individual experiences brief losses of muscle tone ("drop attacks" or cataplexy), is caused by a lack of orexin in the brain due to destruction of the cells that produce it.

Key facts

Protein family.Symbol
Orexin
Protein family.Name
Prepro-orexin
Protein family.Pfam
PF02072
Protein family.InterPro
IPR001704
Protein family.SCOP
1cq0
Protein family.OPM protein
1wso

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

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Commons category
Orexin
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~18 min read

Article

19 sections
Contents
  • Discovery
  • Isoforms
  • Function
  • Brown fat activation
  • Wakefulness
  • Food intake
  • Addiction
  • Lipid metabolism
  • Mood
  • Orexin neurons
  • Neurotransmitters
  • Orexin system dysfunction
  • Takotsubo syndrome
  • ESSENCE
  • Clinical uses
  • Other potential uses
  • Evolution
  • References
  • External links

Orexin (), also known as hypocretin, is a neuropeptide that regulates arousal, wakefulness, and appetite. It exists in the forms of orexin-A and orexin-B. The most common form of narcolepsy, type 1, in which the individual experiences brief losses of muscle tone ("drop attacks" or cataplexy), is caused by a lack of orexin in the brain due to destruction of the cells that produce it.

There are 50,000–80,000 orexin-producing neurons in the human brain, located predominantly in the perifornical area and lateral hypothalamus. They project widely throughout the central nervous system, regulating wakefulness, feeding, and other behaviours. There are two types of orexin peptide and two types of orexin receptor.

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