Comparison

Humanin vs Melanotan I

Function

While Humanin exerts neuroprotective and cytoprotective effects in models of Alzheimer’s disease, ischemia, and metabolic stress, reducing apoptosis and improving cell survival7136141, Melanotan I is approved in some regions for prevention of phototoxicity in erythropoietic protoporphyria and is studied as a skin-darkening, photoprotective peptide3444.

Mechanism

While Humanin works as a mitochondrial-derived 24-amino-acid peptide that protects cells against diverse apoptotic insults by interacting with cell-surface cytokine receptor complexes and intracellular targets, thereby activating pro-survival STAT3 and other pathways7136141, Melanotan I is a linear 13-amino-acid analog of α-MSH (afamelanotide) that selectively activates MC1R on melanocytes, increasing eumelanin synthesis and providing photoprotection3444.

Length and Sequence

Humanin is 24 amino acids long, whereas Melanotan I is shorter as it has a length of 13 amino acids. Humanin is made up of a sequence of Methionine, Alanine, Proline, Arginine, Glycine, Phenylalanine, Serine, Cysteine, Leucine, Leucine, Leucine, Leucine, Leucine, Threonine, Serine, Glutamic acid, Isoleucine, Aspartic acid, Leucine, Proline, Valine, Lysine, Arginine, Arginine, Alanine. Melanotan I is made up of a sequence of Serine, Tyrosine, Serine, Nle, Glutamic acid, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, Tryptophan, Glycine, Lysine, Proline, Valine.

Receptor

Humanin

Binds a trimeric cytokine receptor complex consisting of CNTFR, WSX-1, and gp130, and can also signal via the G-protein–coupled receptor FPRL1/FPR2136141

Melanotan I

Melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) 344481

Organism or Origin

Humanin

Human mitochondrial peptide encoded within the 16S rRNA gene region7685

Melanotan I

Synthetic analog of human α-MSH derived from POMC34448190

Gene

Humanin

MT-RNR2

Melanotan I

POMC

Related articles

No related articles are linked to these peptides yet.

Sources

7Evidence of natural selection in the mitochondrial-derived peptides ..., https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-41053-0
53Frequently Asked Questions, https://www.peptidejournal.org/peptides/humanin-mitochondrial-peptide-research
76Humanin - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanin
85MT-RNR2 - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MT-RNR2
141Humanin: a harbinger of mitochondrial-derived peptides? - PMC - NIH, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3641182/
34Melanotan I (Afamelanotide): Research Profile - PeptideJournal, https://www.peptidejournal.org/peptides/melanotan-i-research-profile
44Melanotan I: properties, applications and references, https://www.benchchem.com/zh/product/b1666627
81Proopiomelanocortin (POMC), the ACTH/melanocortin precursor, is ..., https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2253185/
90alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone: production and degradation, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3936413/