Phoenixin: A Newly Discovered Peptide with Multi-Functions.

Phoenixin (PNX) is a newly identified peptide that is mainly distributed in the nervous system. Initial studies demonstrated that PNX is a reproductive peptide, however, further studies indicated that PNX might play a wide range of roles in additional physiological process such as sensory processing, anxiety and memory. Recently, Gpr173 was identified as the cognate receptor of PNX and aspects of the regulatory mechanism of PNX has now been clarified. This review aims to provide the current knowledge of PNX and propose some study directions for future research