HomeAboutRankingsData Sources
© 2026 GeneE
🧬
GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
ⓘGeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
UCN3
urocortin 3
Chromosome 10 · 10p15.1
NCBI Gene: 114131Ensembl: ENSG00000178473.7HGNC: HGNC:17781UniProt: Q969E3
38PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
GO:0005615protein bindingneuropeptide hormone activitygeneral adaptation syndromeneurodegenerative diseaseskin diseaseneoplasmplacenta praevia
✦AI Summary

UCN3 (urocortin 3) is a neuropeptide hormone belonging to the corticotropin-releasing hormone family that functions as a critical regulator of stress homeostasis and metabolic control 1. The protein acts as a selective agonist for corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 2 (CRHR2), mediating stress responses and maintaining homeostatic balance after stress exposure 1. In pancreatic islets, UCN3 serves as a local inducer of somatostatin release from delta cells, providing negative feedback to modulate insulin and glucagon secretion, and represents a hallmark of functional beta cell maturation 2. UCN3 demonstrates potent anorexic effects, strongly inhibiting appetite regulation in animal models 3. In the cardiovascular system, UCN3 exerts protective effects including vasodilation, positive inotropic effects, and cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury 4. The protein plays important roles in behavioral regulation, with UCN3-expressing neurons in the perifornical hypothalamic area mediating stress-induced changes in infant-directed behavior 5. Dysregulation of the UCN3/CRHR2 axis is implicated in various stress-related clinical conditions including post-traumatic stress, cardiovascular disease, and other stress-related disorders, making it a potential biomarker for stress management 1.

Sources cited
1
UCN3 belongs to CRH family, mediates stress homeostasis via CRHR2, and is dysregulated in stress-related clinical conditions
PMID: 35738909
2
UCN3 has strong inhibitory effects on animal appetite regulation
PMID: 31415798
3
UCN3 induces somatostatin release in pancreatic islets and is a marker of beta cell maturation
PMID: 35065098
4
UCN3 exerts cardiovascular protective effects including vasodilation and cardioprotection
PMID: 25554979
5
UCN3 neurons in perifornical hypothalamus mediate stress effects on infant-directed behavior
PMID: 36476733
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.21Weak
skin diseaseOpen Targets
0.11Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Weak
placenta praeviaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
type 2 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
metabolic syndromeOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
MODYOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
ApneaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
type 1 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
hyperinsulinism due to INSR deficiencyOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Barrett's esophagusOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 4Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
exercise-induced hyperinsulinismOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
renal cysts and diabetes syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
diabetes mellitus, transient neonatal, 2Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 2Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 6Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hyperinsulinism due to glucokinase deficiencyOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
CRHProtein interaction100%CRHBPProtein interaction100%UCNProtein interaction100%LINC02210-CRHR1Protein interaction100%CRHR2Protein interaction71%CRHR1Protein interaction67%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Lung
1%
Bone Marrow
1%
Ovary
0%
Heart
0%
Liver
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
UCN3CRHCRHBPUCNLINC02210-CRHR1CRHR2CRHR1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB3N93 · 2.50 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.74LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.06Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.78 [0.35–1.74]
RankingsWhere UCN3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #10,569of 20,598
    Most Researched38
  • #16,292of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.74
Genes detectedUCN3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
The urocortin peptides: biological relevance and laboratory aspects of UCN3 and its receptor.
PMID: 35738909
Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci · 2022
1.00
2
Progress in understanding the roles of Urocortin3 (UCN3) in the control of appetite from studies using animal models.
PMID: 31415798
Peptides · 2019
0.90
3
Structural insights into preinitiation complex assembly on core promoters.
PMID: 33795473
Science · 2021
0.80
4
An integrated single-cell RNA-seq atlas of the mouse hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus links transcriptomic and functional types.
PMID: 38281730
J Neuroendocrinol · 2024
0.70
5
Urocortin3: Local inducer of somatostatin release and bellwether of beta cell maturity.
PMID: 35065098
Peptides · 2022
0.60