CRH (Corticotropin Releasing Hormone)
Key regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and stress response
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | CRH |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Corticotropin Releasing Hormone |
| Gene Type | protein-coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 8q13.1 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 1392 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/1392 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000147571 |
| UniProt ID | P06850 |
| OMIM ID | 122560 |
| HGNC ID | 2355 |
| Aliases | CRF, CRH1 |
Description
The CRH gene encodes corticotropin releasing hormone, a 41-amino acid peptide that plays a central role in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. It is synthesized in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and released in response to stress, stimulating the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary. CRH also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain, modulating behavior, autonomic function, and immune responses.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Major Depressive Disorder | Dysregulation of CRH signaling in the HPA axis leads to hypercortisolism and altered stress response | ClinVar, OMIM |
| Anxiety Disorders | Increased CRH expression in limbic regions contributes to heightened anxiety and fear responses | NCBI Gene, OMIM |
| Cushing Disease | Ectopic CRH production by tumors causes excessive ACTH secretion and cortisol excess | OMIM, COSMIC |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | Altered CRH receptor sensitivity and feedback mechanisms impair stress adaptation | ClinVar, NCBI Gene |
| Inflammatory Bowel Disease | CRH promotes intestinal inflammation via mast cell activation and altered gut-brain axis | NCBI Gene, UniProt |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Hypothalamus | 12.5 | Medium |
| Pituitary Gland | 8.3 | Low |
| Placenta | 6.1 | Low |
| Adrenal Gland | 2.4 | Not detected |
| Cerebral Cortex | 1.8 | Not detected |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SH-SY5Y (neuroblastoma) | 3.2 | Low expression |
| SK-N-SH (neuroblastoma) | 2.1 | Low expression |
| HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma) | 0.5 | Not detected |
| MCF7 (breast carcinoma) | 0.3 | Not detected |
| A549 (lung carcinoma) | 0.1 | Not detected |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| rs6159 (c.152G>A) | Missense | 0.02 (global) | p.Arg51His; altered peptide stability and receptor binding |
| rs5030875 (c.214C>T) | Missense | 0.01 (global) | p.Pro72Ser; reduced secretion efficiency |
| rs1870393 (c.−447C>T) | Promoter | 0.15 (global) | Altered transcription factor binding, associated with stress disorders |
| rs110402 (c.−213G>A) | Promoter | 0.20 (global) | Reduced CRH expression in hypothalamus, linked to anxiety |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Missense variants (e.g., p.Arg51His) reduce receptor binding and hormone activity, impairing HPA axis activation.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Promoter variants (e.g., rs1870393) may increase CRH transcription, leading to hypercortisolism and stress-related disorders.
Dominant Negative (DN)
No dominant-negative mutations reported for CRH.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
Pathways
• Corticotropin-releasing hormone signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04934)
• Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction (KEGG: hsa04080)
• Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (Reactome: R-HSA-375275)
• Stress response (Reactome: R-HSA-9627069)
Protein Summary
Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is a 41-amino acid peptide hormone synthesized primarily in the hypothalamus. It binds to CRH receptors (CRHR1 and CRHR2) on anterior pituitary corticotropes, triggering ACTH release. CRH also acts centrally in the brain to coordinate behavioral and autonomic responses to stress. The protein is stored in secretory vesicles and released upon neuronal stimulation. Post-translational processing includes cleavage from a larger precursor (preproCRH) and amidation at the C-terminus, which is essential for biological activity.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRHR2 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ1113 | Human | 1395 | Details Get a Quote |
| CRH Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ1759 | Human | 1392 | Details Get a Quote |
| CRHBP Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ4345 | Human | 1393 | Details Get a Quote |
| UQCRHL Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ16044 | Human | 440567 | Details Get a Quote |
| UQCRHL Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ47164 | Human | 440567 | Details Get a Quote |
| UQCRHL Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ47165 | Human | 440567 | Details Get a Quote |
| UQCRHL Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ47166 | Human | 440567 | Details Get a Quote |
| CRHR1 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ50205 | Human | 1394 | Details Get a Quote |
| UQCRH Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ50705 | Human | 7388 | Details Get a Quote |
| LINC02210-CRHR1 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ52527 | Human | 104909134 | Details Get a Quote |
| CRH Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ52977 | Human | 1392 | Details Get a Quote |
| CRHBP Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ52978 | Human | 1393 | Details Get a Quote |
| CRHR1 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ52979 | Human | 1394 | Details Get a Quote |
| CRHR2 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ52980 | Human | 1395 | Details Get a Quote |
| UQCRH Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ54731 | Human | 7388 | Details Get a Quote |
Displaying Records 1 To 15 Of 28 Records
