The field of neuroscience has grown dramatically in the last several decades with the discovery of a vast repertoire of small neuroendocrine peptides. In order to understand the role of these neuropeptides in behavior and disease states, it is critical to understand the mechanisms which control their expression and activity. This 41 amino acid neuroendocrine peptide is the key hypothalamic releasing factor in the mammalian stress response.
Glucocorticoids then mediate the body's adaptive response to stress.
CRH, therefore, mediates many of the endocrine, autonomic, and immunological effects of stress. Moreover, alterations in CRH neural activity appear to contribute to a number of illnesses including depression, anxiety disorders, and anorexia nervosa. Thus, CRH production, release, and activity represent key control levels which regulate man s ability to respond physiologically to external stimuli. The regulation of CRH secretion has been widely studied, but much less is known about the regulatory mechanisms responsible for activating or repressing the expression of this gene. One goal of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for transcriptional regulation of this important peptide.