Chemical synthesis and biological activity of rat INSL3

Abstract

The recently identified protein, insulin 3 (INSL3), has structural features that make it a bona fide member of the insulin superfamily. Its predicted amino acid sequence contains the classic two-peptide chain (A- and B-) structure with conserved cysteine residues that results in a disulphide bond disposition identical to that of insulin. Recently, the generation of insl3 knockout mice has demonstrated that testicular descent is blocked due to the failure of a specific ligament, the gubernaculum, to develop. The mechanism by which INSL3 exerts its action on the gubernaculum is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to, for the first time, synthesize rat INSL3 and test its action on ..