Chemical Identity

Property	Value
Chemical Formula	C169H267N51O52S2
Molecular Weight	3903 Da
CAS Number	122384-88-7
Peptide Class	Polypeptide Hormone (37 amino acids)
Sequence	KCNTATCATQRLANFLVHSSNNFGAILSSTNVGSNTY-NH2
Disulfide Bonds	1 (Cys2-Cys7)

Structure

Amylin (islet amyloid polypeptide, IAPP) is a 37-amino acid peptide hormone with a disulfide bridge between Cys2 and Cys7 and a C-terminal amidation. It is co-secreted with insulin from pancreatic beta cell secretory granules at a fixed 1:100 ratio to insulin.

Mechanism of Action

Amylin acts through amylin receptors (calcitonin receptor with RAMP1, RAMP2, or RAMP3) in the area postrema and nucleus tractus solitarius. It suppresses postprandial glucagon secretion, slows gastric emptying, and promotes satiety through central vagal afferents. These actions complement insulin in postprandial glucose regulation.

Clinical Applications

• Type 1 diabetes: Deficient amylin secretion (supplemental therapy)
• Type 2 diabetes: Reduced amylin response (adjunct to insulin)
• Pramlintide: Synthetic analog for clinical use
• Obesity: Appetite suppression mechanism

Pharmacology

• Co-secretion: Released with insulin in response to nutrients
• Ratio: 1:100 amylin:insulin
• Deficiency: Absent in type 1 diabetes, reduced in type 2
• Amyloid: Aggregation contributes to beta cell death in T2DM

References

• Cooper, G.J., et al. (1987). Purification and characterization of amylin from amyloid-rich pancreases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 84, 8628-8632.
• Young, A. (2005). Inhibition of glucagon secretion by amylin. Diabetes, 54, 1548-1555.