Motilin

Paces the migrating motor complex between meals.

EndogenousEstablished

Identity

Class: Gut peptide (22 aa)
Source: Endocrine cells of the small intestine
Receptor: Motilin receptor (a class A GPCR)

Key properties

Molecular weight

~2,698.1 Da

Half-life (native)

~4–5 min

Model dosing

Approximate values for the native hormone. Engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting.

Mechanism

Motilin is released cyclically in the fasting state and drives the migrating motor complex — the rhythmic 'housekeeping' contractions that sweep residual contents through the gut between meals. Its role is timing, distinct from the post-meal satiety peptides.

Reference notes

Motilin governs the fasting (interdigestive) motility pattern, not the fed state.
Certain macrolide antibiotics act as motilin-receptor agonists — an off-target pharmacology.
Its between-meal role distinguishes it from the post-meal gut peptides.

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

1.Motilin and clinical application · Peptides, 1997 · PMID 9210180
2.The gastrointestinal tract in hunger and satiety signalling · United European gastroenterology journal, 2021 · PMID 34153172