Comparison

Melanotan I vs Thymosin Alpha-1

Function

While Melanotan I is approved in some regions for prevention of phototoxicity in erythropoietic protoporphyria and is studied as a skin-darkening, photoprotective peptide3444, Thymosin Alpha-1 is clinically used in some countries as an immunomodulator for chronic hepatitis B/C and as an adjuvant in cancer therapy, enhancing cell-mediated immunity41487.

Mechanism

While Melanotan I works as a linear 13-amino-acid analog of α-MSH (afamelanotide) that selectively activates MC1R on melanocytes, increasing eumelanin synthesis and providing photoprotection3444, Thymosin Alpha-1 is a 28-amino-acid thymic peptide fragment of prothymosin alpha that activates dendritic cells and T cells primarily via TLR9/MyD88/NF-κB signaling, enhancing Th1 responses and NK-cell cytotoxicity414.

Length and Sequence

Melanotan I is 13 amino acids long, whereas Thymosin Alpha-1 is longer as it has a length of 28 amino acids. Melanotan I is made up of a sequence of Serine, Tyrosine, Serine, Nle, Glutamic acid, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, Tryptophan, Glycine, Lysine, Proline, Valine. Thymosin Alpha-1 is made up of a sequence of Serine, Aspartic acid, Alanine, Alanine, Valine, Aspartic acid, Threonine, Serine, Serine, Glutamic acid, Isoleucine, Threonine, Threonine, Lysine, Aspartic acid, Leucine, Lysine, Glutamic acid, Lysine, Lysine, Glutamic acid, Valine, Valine, Glutamic acid, Glutamic acid, Alanine, Glutamic acid, Asparagine.

Receptor

Melanotan I

Melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) 344481

Thymosin Alpha-1

Toll-like receptors, predominantly TLR9 (and also TLR2/TLR3) on plasmacytoid dendritic cells and other immune cells4

Organism or Origin

Melanotan I

Synthetic analog of human α-MSH derived from POMC34448190

Thymosin Alpha-1

Endogenous fragment of human prothymosin alpha produced in the thymus1487

Gene

Melanotan I

POMC

Thymosin Alpha-1

PTMA

Related articles

No related articles are linked to these peptides yet.

Sources

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/
4Thymosin Alpha-1: Thymic Immunomodulatory Peptide and ..., https://peptpedia.org/research/thymosin-alpha1-t-cell-immunomodulation
14Thymosin Alpha 1 - CPC Scientific, https://cpcscientific.com/products/catalog-peptides/THYM-004/
87PTMA protein | Thymosin alpha 1 Protein-NP_001092755.1, https://www.mybiosource.com/ptma-protein/thymosin-alpha-1/846997