Compound monograph
Oxyntomodulin
Oxyntomodulin is an endogenous proglucagon-derived peptide containing the complete glucagon sequence plus an eight-residue C-terminal extension, with reported activity at both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. A review by Bataille and Dalle (PMID 25115338) describes oxyntomodulin as a member of the glucagon family; that is a review-level family attribution.
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Identity & nomenclature
Oxyntomodulin is an endogenous proglucagon-derived peptide containing the complete glucagon sequence plus an eight-residue C-terminal extension, with reported activity at both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. A review by Bataille and Dalle (PMID 25115338) describes oxyntomodulin as a member of the glucagon family; that is a review-level family attribution.
Oxyntomodulin is ONE peptide, not a mixture of GLP-1 and glucagon. It is also not glicentin, which is a larger processing product that contains the oxyntomodulin region — and both carry the same KRNRNNIA C-terminus, so recognising that region does not distinguish them. Separately, 'oxyntomodulin-like' is a description of GLP-1R/GCGR pharmacology and does not establish oxyntomodulin-derived chemistry; a compound can have that pharmacology from a different scaffold entirely. PubChem CID 121494088 encodes the human 37-residue free peptide ending KRNRNNIA, whereas CID 16144019 ends KRNKNNIA and contains Lys33 in place of Arg33. Arginine carries two more nitrogens than lysine, which is why that record shows N59 against this entry's N61. Its formula and mass describe a variant and must not be applied to the human sequence.
Declared aliases and development codes: OXM, Glucagon-37.
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Molecular properties
| Molecular formula | C192H295N61O60S |
|---|---|
| Molecular mass | 4449.9 Da |
| PubChem CID | 121494088 |
| UNII | LV7ELH7V16 |
| One-letter sequence | HSQGTFTSDYSKYLDSRRAQDFVQWLMNTKRNRNNIA |
| Terminal groups | Free N-terminus; Free C-terminal carboxyl |
Thirty-seven residues, free at both termini. The first twenty-nine are the complete glucagon sequence; the C-terminal extension is KRNRNNIA. Species and the extension must both be explicit.
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Structural characteristics
Its dual-receptor character was dissected using a single-residue variant: replacing glutamine with glutamate at position 3 retained comparable potency at the murine GLP-1 receptor while removing significant murine glucagon-receptor agonist activity in vitro and reducing the ability to stimulate glycogenolysis in perfused mouse liver by roughly one hundred-fold. These receptor and liver assays distinguish the GLP-1R and GCGR components of oxyntomodulin signaling. The library cites that work for this receptor dissection specifically. There is no separate established oxyntomodulin receptor to name; the mechanism is the two receptors it shares with other proglucagon-derived peptides.
Terminal features: Free N-terminus, Free C-terminal carboxyl.
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Molecular targets & mechanisms
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor
GLP-1R
GLP-1R is a class B G-protein-coupled receptor. The cited structural and pharmacology records characterize semaglutide and retatrutide as peptide agonists at this receptor.
Glucagon receptor
GCGR
GCGR is a class B G-protein-coupled receptor. Retatrutide's LY3437943 discovery record characterizes a molecular agonist relationship at GCGR alongside GIPR and GLP-1R.
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Analytical considerations
Identity work must discriminate oxyntomodulin from BOTH glucagon and glicentin. An internal glucagon-derived segment cannot identify it uniquely, because glucagon's entire sequence is contained within it. A C-terminal antibody does not solve this either: antisera raised against the KRNRNNIA extension cross-react completely with both oxyntomodulin and glicentin while showing none toward glucagon. Chromatographic or mass-spectrometric separation is therefore the appropriate approach, and a validated LC-MS/MS method distinguishing oxyntomodulin from glucagon exists. GSRS UNII LV7ELH7V16 matches the human sequence but reports C192H291N61O60S, four hydrogens below PubChem CID 121494088 and this record’s formula.
Disagreements and mix-ups
Points where sources disagree about this compound's identity, or where a name or form is easily confused with another, as noted in this record. The discrepancy register quotes the passage for each one.
Sources disagree · this Library follows one source · Sequence
Residue 33 of oxyntomodulin: arginine or lysineOften mixed up · Name or substance
Glucagon-derived vs oxyntomodulin-derivedAlso noted in Survodutide, Mazdutide
Often mixed up · Name or substance
Glucagon vs proglucagon, GLP-1 and oxyntomodulinAlso noted in Glucagon
What the studies reported
Each finding describes one cited study in its stated model. These observations are specific to that study and do not establish effects in other settings.
Cell and tissue studies
OXM radioimmunoassay with rabbit antisera
Blache et al. reported 100% cross-reactivity of C-terminal-directed rabbit antisera with oxyntomodulin and no cross-reactivity with glucagon in a radioimmunoassay.
Reference [1]Plasma liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay
Becker et al. validated a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for oxyntomodulin in plasma that was linear from 1.1 to 13.7 pM and had imprecision below 13% CV.
Reference [2]CHO cells expressing mouse GLP1R or GCGR
Kosinski et al. measured cAMP EC50 values for oxyntomodulin of 2.5 nmol/L at mouse GLP1R and 6.2 nmol/L at mouse GCGR in Chinese hamster ovary cell assays.
Reference [3]
Animal studies
Diet-induced obese human-GCGR C57BL/6 mouse model
Kosinski et al. reported body-weight changes of -9.1 plus or minus 1.2 grams with oxyntomodulin and -0.6 plus or minus 0.3 grams with vehicle in diet-induced obese C57BL/6 mice expressing human GCGR (P < 0.05).
Reference [3]
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Verified bibliography
Cited studies by type
The 4 papers this record cites, counted by the kind of work each reports. A count is the size of this record's selection, not of the research that exists, and says nothing about results, safety, effectiveness or approval.
A paper can report more than one kind of work. Each count opens those papers in the bibliography. Compare every record on the Evidence Map.
Reference 1
Development of an oxyntomodulin/glicentin C-terminal radioimmunoassay using a "thiol-maleoyl" coupling method for preparing the immunogen.Blache P, Kervran A, Martinez J, Bataille D
Analytical biochemistry · 1988-08-15 · Journal Article
currentReference 2
Quantification of glucagon and oxyntomodulin by protein precipitation-immunoaffinity enrichment-LC-MS/MS.Becker JO, Shijo SK, Huynh HH, Forrest KL, MacCoss MJ, Emrick MA, Goonatilleke E, Hoofnagle AN
Journal of mass spectrometry and advances in the clinical lab · 2025-04-11 · Journal Article
currentReference 3
The glucagon receptor is involved in mediating the body weight-lowering effects of oxyntomodulin.Kosinski JR, Hubert J, Carrington PE, Chicchi GG, Mu J, Miller C, Cao J, Bianchi E, Pessi A, Sinharoy R, Marsh DJ, Pocai A
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2012-03-16 · Journal Article
currentReference 4
The forgotten members of the glucagon family.Bataille D, Dalle S
Diabetes research and clinical practice · 2014-07-03 · Review
current
Study models of these references
What kind of experiment each cited paper reports, taken from its abstract unless marked. Not a summary of results.
| Reference | Study models |
|---|---|
| Blache P et al. 1988 | Study models reported: in vitro · from the abstract |
| Becker JO et al. 2025 | Study models reported: in vitro · from the abstract |
| Kosinski JR et al. 2012 | Study models reported: in vitro; animal (mouse) · from the full text |
| Bataille D et al. 2014 | Review article |
Compare
Record history
Published 2026-09-14.
- : Sequence and structure
- : Identity and nomenclature, Analytical notes
- : Identity and nomenclature, References
Each entry names the parts of this record that changed on that date. Changes to links between records and to catalogue links are not listed. This history covers the tracked record fields; study findings are not listed here.
Cite this record: Purely Peptides Research Library. Oxyntomodulin. Published 2026-09-14; updated 2026-10-14. https://purelypeptides.org/research/compounds/oxyntomodulin/
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Methodology & citation verification
Reference identity is checked against official PubMed metadata. Local deterministic receipts bind each normalized title and canonical metadata record to its verification date. Scientific values remain absent when an authoritative source has not been verified.
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