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Metabolic & GLP-1 · Reference monograph

Gut hormone associated with satiety and food-intake control

Reference compound — not available from Purity Peptides. Shown for research context.

Overview

Peptide YY (PYY) is a 36-amino-acid gut hormone belonging to the pancreatic polypeptide family, which also includes neuropeptide Y and pancreatic polypeptide. It was isolated in 1980 by Kazuhiko Tatemoto and Viktor Mutt, who named it for the tyrosine residues, abbreviated Y, at both its N- and C-termini. PYY is secreted by L-cells of the distal gut after meals, alongside GLP-1 and oxyntomodulin.

Circulating PYY exists as the full-length PYY(1-36) and the truncated PYY(3-36), produced by DPP-4 cleavage. In 2002, a widely cited study reported that PYY(3-36) reduced food intake in rodents and humans, generating significant interest in the hormone as an obesity research target, although some laboratories had difficulty replicating the rodent findings. Raised postprandial PYY after certain bariatric procedures has also drawn attention to its possible contribution to altered appetite. PYY is not an approved medicine; long-acting analogues have been explored in development programmes. It remains a key research peptide for satiety physiology, Y2 receptor pharmacology and gut-brain signalling.

Mechanism studied

  1. PYY3-36
  2. Y2 receptor
  3. Hypothalamic satiety
  4. Food-intake ↓

PYY(1-36) activates several Y receptors, whereas PYY(3-36) is relatively selective for the Y2 receptor, a Gi/o-coupled G protein-coupled receptor. In the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, Y2 receptors are located presynaptically on orexigenic neuropeptide Y/agouti-related peptide neurons; their activation inhibits these neurons and is thought to disinhibit anorexigenic pro-opiomelanocortin neurons. Vagal afferent Y2 receptors and brainstem pathways also contribute. In the gut, PYY slows gastric emptying and intestinal transit, the so-called ileal brake, and reduces pancreatic and intestinal secretion. Nausea at higher exposures has been a recurring challenge in translating PYY research.

Research highlights

  • 01Isolated in 1980 by Tatemoto and Mutt from porcine intestine.
  • 02A 2002 Nature paper on PYY(3-36) and food intake became one of the most cited studies in appetite research, alongside reports of replication difficulties.
  • 03PYY contributes to the ileal brake, a feedback mechanism slowing upper gut transit when nutrients reach the distal intestine.
  • 04Combination research has examined PYY analogues alongside GLP-1 receptor agonists in rodent and early clinical studies.
  • 05Open questions include managing nausea, achieving Y2 receptor selectivity and defining the role of PYY in post-surgical appetite changes.

Latest published research

4,524 papers on PubMed →

  1. The gut-pancreas axis in chronic pancreatitis: Microbiota-endogenous GLP-1 interactions and candidate repair pathways

    Fan Z et al. · Microbiological research · 2027 Jan · PMID 42854469

  2. Phascolarctobacterium faecium reduces food intake via PYY signaling, contributing to the mitigation of body weight gain in diet-induced obese mice

    Bullich-Vilarrubias C et al. · Gut microbes · 2026 Dec 31 · PMID 41566927

  3. Study on the role of cyanidin-3‑O‑galactoside in alleviating pulmonary fibrosis via Ccl3/Slc2a3

    Tang X et al. · The Journal of nutritional biochemistry · 2026 Dec · PMID 42537820

  4. Diabetes remission 10 years after bariatric surgery: Extension study of a randomized controlled trial

    Hernández-Montoliu L et al. · Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2026 Nov · PMID 42822398

  5. A Subphenotype of Obesity With Reduced Enteroendocrine Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Synthesis and Enhanced Tirzepatide Response

    Ticho AL et al. · Gastroenterology · 2026 Nov · PMID 42250890

  6. Attenuated hypothalamic response to fructose via a dedicated gut-brain pathway

    McKnight AD et al. · Neuron · 2026 Oct 21 · PMID 42269609

  7. The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Obesity: Inflammation, Appetite Dysregulation, and Feeding Behavior

    Sandoval-Valenzuela C et al. · Nutrients · 2026 Oct 17 · PMID 42942979

  8. Incorporation of Carob Into a High-Fat Meal Influences Subjective Satiety, Ghrelin and PYY Regulation

    Amerikanou C et al. · Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2026 Oct 15 · PMID 42881118

Live feed from PubMed (NCBI) for “PYY (Peptide YY)”, updated 2026-10-30. Listing a paper is not an endorsement of its findings.

Registered studies

83 on ClinicalTrials.gov →

From the public ClinicalTrials.gov registry for “PYY (Peptide YY)”, updated 2026-10-30. Shown for research context only; Purity Peptides products are not for human use.

Key references

  1. [1]Batterham et al., 2002 — Nature 418:650–654
  2. [2]PubMed — reviews on PYY3-36 and satiety

FAQ

  • PYY(1-36) is the full-length secreted peptide, while PYY(3-36) is formed when DPP-4 removes the first two amino acids. The truncation shifts receptor selectivity toward the Y2 receptor, which is associated with the hormone's effects on food intake.

  • In the single-letter amino acid code, Y stands for tyrosine. Tatemoto and Mutt identified the peptide by its C-terminal amide and noted tyrosine residues at both ends, so they called it peptide tyrosine tyrosine, abbreviated PYY.

  • The ileal brake is a physiological feedback loop in which nutrients reaching the ileum and colon trigger hormones including PYY and GLP-1. These signals slow gastric emptying and small-intestinal transit, giving more time for digestion and absorption.

FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY.Not for human or veterinary use. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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