Secernor

Secernor is a term used in biology to refer to a molecule, usually a protein or peptide, that promotes or regulates secretion by cells or tissues. The usage is not standardized, and secernor appears sporadically in older literature and in discussions of secretion control. In modern biology, more specific terms such as secretagogue, secretory regulator, or regulator of secretory pathways are typically preferred.

Origin and definition: The word derives from Latin "secernere" meaning to secrete or separate; the suffix "-or" denotes an agent. As a concept, a secernor is any factor that influences the rate, timing, or specificity of secretion, rather than detailing a single molecular class.

Biological context: Secernors may act at multiple levels: transcriptional control of secreted proteins, post-translational modifications that affect trafficking, vesicle budding and fusion, or regulation of secretory organelles like the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. In bacteria, hypothetical secernors could modulate components of dedicated secretion systems (e.g., Sec, Tat, or Type VI systems) to regulate export.

Status in literature: There is no widely accepted definition or catalog of secernors; the term tends to be used variably or as a pedagogical placeholder. Researchers are more likely to refer to specific proteins with defined roles in secretion or to general classes like secretory regulators.

See also: Secretion, secretagogue, secretory pathway, SNARE, COPII.