Pathway candidateNCBI-verifiedprotein-coding

MC4R

melanocortin 4 receptor

NCBI Gene: 4160 Ensembl GeneCards UniProt: P32245

Pathway candidate — not linked to PFS or PSSD by any record here

MC4R is in the library because it belongs to the neuroendocrine signaling family. No study, report or commentary in the corpus names it, so a variant in MC4R is not, by itself, evidence of anything related to post-drug syndromes.

Gene summary

A protein-coding gene on chromosome 18 (neuroendocrine and peptide signaling). The protein encoded by this gene is a membrane-bound receptor and member of the melanocortin receptor family. The protein interacts with adrenocorticotropic and MSH hormones and is mediated by G proteins.

Source: NCBI Gene, accessed 2026-10-07.

Protein reference (UniProt)

Protein: Melanocortin receptor 4
Function (excerpt): G protein-coupled receptor that binds melanocyte-stimulating hormones (alpha- and beta-MSH) and corticotropin/ACTH, which are peptide products of the POMC precursor. Functions as a central component of the leptin-melanocortin pathway, which is essential for maintaining energy homeostasis. Upon activation, couples to G(s) protein, stimulating adenylate cyclase and the cAMP-dependent signaling pathway, which promotes anorexogenic signaling in the hypothalamus and contributes to a negative energy balance. Regulates food intake: activation by agonists suppresses appetite, whereas the antagonist Agouti-related protein/AGRP precludes agonist-induced signaling, thereby stimulating appetite. Modulates the firing activity of neurons in paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus via alpha-MSH and AGRP regulation of inwardly rectifying potassium channel KCNJ13 closure, independently of G(s) signaling.
Subcellular location: Cell membrane; Cell projection, cilium membrane.
Tissue specificity: Brain, placental, and gut tissues.
Associated conditions: Obesity (OBESITY).

Source: UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot P32245, release 2026_03, licensed CC BY 4.0. This is the protein’s normal biology, not evidence about post-drug syndromes; associated conditions are inherited disorders of the gene, not PFS, PSSD or PRSD.

Why its pathway is in the library

Peptide-hormone and related signaling modulates sexual function, stress, and behavior — symptom domains prominent in PSSD/PFS.

Written for the whole neuroendocrine signaling family, not for MC4R specifically.

Mentioned in 0 corpus records

No corpus record names MC4R directly yet. It is in the library because it sits in a pathway the corpus tracks (Neuroendocrine signaling).

Also in neuroendocrine and peptide signaling

All 12 genes

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Gene summary

Source: NCBI Gene, accessed 2026-10-07.

Protein reference (UniProt)

Protein: Melanocortin receptor 4
Function (excerpt): G protein-coupled receptor that binds melanocyte-stimulating hormones (alpha- and beta-MSH) and corticotropin/ACTH, which are peptide products of the POMC precursor. Functions as a central component of the leptin-melanocortin pathway, which is essential for maintaining energy homeostasis. Upon activation, couples to G(s) protein, stimulating adenylate cyclase and the cAMP-dependent signaling pathway, which promotes anorexogenic signaling in the hypothalamus and contributes to a negative energy balance. Regulates food intake: activation by agonists suppresses appetite, whereas the antagonist Agouti-related protein/AGRP precludes agonist-induced signaling, thereby stimulating appetite. Modulates the firing activity of neurons in paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus via alpha-MSH and AGRP regulation of inwardly rectifying potassium channel KCNJ13 closure, independently of G(s) signaling.
Subcellular location: Cell membrane; Cell projection, cilium membrane.
Tissue specificity: Brain, placental, and gut tissues.
Associated conditions: Obesity (OBESITY).