Urocortin proteins and uses thereof

Isolated and purified urocortin II protein coded for by DNA selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) isolated and purified DNA which encodes urocortin II protein;
• (b) isolated and purified DNA which hybridizes at high stringency conditions to the antisense complement of the isolated DNA of (a) above, wherein high stringency conditions are characterized as membrane washing at high temperature and low salt concentration functionally equivalent to 0.1×SSC at 65° C., wherein said DNA encodes urocortin II protein;
• and
• (c) isolated and purified DNA differing from the isolated DNAs of (a) and (b) above in codon sequence due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, and which encodes urocortin II protein.

DNA encoding human urocortin-related peptide selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) isolated and purified DNA which encodes a human urocortin-related peptide protein;
• (b) isolated and purified DNA which hybridizes at high stringency conditions to the antisense complement of the isolated DNA of (a) above, wherein high stringency conditions are characterized as membrane washing at high temperature and low salt concentration functionally equivalent to 0.1×SSC at 65° C., wherein said DNA encodes a human urocortin-related peptide protein;
• and
• (c) isolated and purified DNA differing from the isolated DNAs of (a) and (b) above in codon sequence due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, and which encodes a human urocortin-related peptide protein.

Isolated and purified human urocortin-related peptide coded for by DNA selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) isolated and purified DNA which encodes a human urocortin-related peptide protein;
• (b) isolated and purified DNA which hybridizes at high stringency conditions to the antisense complement of the isolated DNA of (a) above, wherein high stringency conditions are characterized as membrane washing at high temperature and low salt concentration functionally equivalent to 0.1×SSC at 65° C., wherein said DNA encodes a human urocortin-related peptide protein;
• and
• (c) isolated and purified DNA differing from the isolated DNAs of (a) and (b) above in codon sequence due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, and which encodes a human urocortin-related peptide protein.