Somatostatin, also known as growth hormone–inhibiting hormone (GHIH) or by several other names, is a peptide hormonethat regulates the endocrine system and affects neurotransmissionand cell proliferation via interaction with G protein-coupledsomatostatin receptors and inhibition of the release of numerous secondary hormones. Somatostatin inhibits insulin and glucagon secretion.[3]
Somatostatin has two active forms produced by alternative cleavage of a single preproprotein: one of 14 amino acids (shown in infobox to right), the other of 28 amino acids[4] which is the short form with another 14 amino acids at one end.[5]
Among the vertebrates, there exist six different somatostatin genes that have been named SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, and SS6.[6]Zebrafish have all 6.[6] The six different genes along with the five different somatostatin receptors allows somatostatin to possess a large range of functions.[7] Humans have only one somatostatin gene, SST.[8][9][10]
