Motilin

Motilin

Motilin is a 22-amino acid polypeptide hormone in the motilin family that, in humans, is encoded by the MLN gene.Motilin is secreted by endocrine M cells that are numerous in crypts of the small intestine, especially in the duodenum and jejunum. Based on amino acid sequence, motilin is unrelated...

 is a gastrointestinal regulatory polypeptide produced by motilin cells in the duodenal epithelium. It is released into the general circulation at about 100-min intervals during the inter-digestive state and is the most important factor in controlling the inter-digestive migrating contractions. Motilin also stimulates endogenous release of the endocrine pancreas.

This domain is also found in ghrelin

Ghrelin

Ghrelin is a 28 amino acid peptide and hormone that is produced mainly by P/D1 cells lining the fundus of the human stomach and epsilon cells of the pancreas that stimulates hunger. Ghrelin levels increase before meals and decrease after meals. It is considered the counterpart of the hormone...

, a growth hormone secretagogue

Secretagogue

A secretagogue is a substance that causes another substance to be secreted. One example is gastrin,, which stimulates the H/K ATPase in the parietal cells...

 synthesised by endocrine cells in the stomach

Stomach

The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...

. Ghrelin stimulates growth hormone secretagogue receptors in the pituitary. These receptors are distinct from the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptors, and thus provide a means of controlling pituitary growth hormone release by the gastrointestinal system.