GUCY2C

GUCY2C, guanylate cyclase 2C, also known as GC-C, STaR, DIAR6, GUC2C, MECIL, MUCIL. It is a transmembrane protein encoded by the GUCY2C gene in humans and belongs to the receptor guanylate cyclase family. GUCY2C is expressed mainly in intestinal epithelial cells, and its protein structure consists of an extracellular ligand-binding structural domain, a transmembrane structural domain, a cytoplasmic structural domain, a catalytic region, and a carboxy-terminal region.
The mechanism of action of GUCY2C is through the binding of its ligands, such as guanosine, uroguanosine, and the heat-stable enterotoxin STa, to activate GUCY2C, which then catalyzes the production of the intracellular second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), a process that plays an important role in regulating body homeostasis, maintaining the function of the intestinal barrier, and exerting anti-inflammatory effects.
The aberrant expression of GUCY2C is associated with a wide range of diseases including familial diarrhea, meconium-fecal intestinal obstruction, and colorectal cancer.