Central relaxin-3 receptor (RXFP3) activation increases ERK phosphorylation in septal cholinergic neurons and impairs spatial working memory

Abstract

The medial septum/diagonal band (MS/DB) is a relay region connecting the hypothalamus and brainstem with the hippocampus, and both the MS/DB and dorsal/ventral hippocampus receive strong topographic GABA/peptidergic projections from the nucleus incertus of the pontine tegmentum. The neuropeptide relaxin-3, released by these neurons, is the cognate ligand for a Gi/o-protein-coupled receptor, RXFP3, which is highly expressed within the MS/DB, and both cholinergic and GABAergic neurons in this region of rat brain receive relaxin-3 positive terminals/boutons. Comprehensive in vitro studies have demonstrated that the cell signaling pathways altered by RXFP3 stimulation, include inhibition of fors..