Journal article

Relaxin family peptides and receptors in mammalian brain: Anatomical insights and diverse functional possibilities

AL Gundlach, S Ma, Q Sang, PJ Shen, L Piccenna, K Sedaghat, CM Smith, RAD Bathgate, AJ Lawrence, GW Tregear, JD Wade, DI Finkelstein, P Bonaventure, C Liu, TW Lovenberg, SW Sutton

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences | Published : 2009

Abstract

As a foundation for regulatory and functional studies of central relaxin family peptide receptor systems, we are mapping the distribution of the different receptors in the brain of rat, mouse, and nonhuman primates, attempting to identify the nature of the receptor-positive neurons in key circuits and establish the complementary distribution of the respective ligands in these species. Here we review progress in mapping RXFP1, RXFP2, and RXFP3 (mRNAs and proteins) and their respective ligands and discuss some of the putative functions for these peptides and receptors that are being explored using receptor-selective agonist and antagonist peptides and receptor and peptide gene deletion mouse s..

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