Conference Proceedings
The Relaxin-Like Factor (Insulin 3) is highly expressed in the ruminant ovary: A putative ruminant relaxin?
RAD Bathgate, N Moniac, B Bartlick, A Claasz, N Dawson, YY Tan, JD Wade, GW Tregear, R Ivell, GW Tregear (ed.), R Ivell (ed.), RA Bathgate (ed.), JD Wade (ed.)
RELAXIN 2000 | SPRINGER | Published : 2001
Abstract
The relaxin-like factor (RLF, Ins13) was initially characterized as the leydig insulin like peptide (Ley-I-L)[1] as it was highly expressed in porcine Leydig cells. More recently however, the RLF gene has also been shown to be expressed in the human ovary and trophoblasts as well as the mouse ovary [Ivell et al., this volume]. This data, together with the similarity in structure of the derived protein sequence of RLF to relaxin, including a conserved, although shifted, relaxin-like receptor binding site (Fig. 1), led to the name relaxin-like factor [2]. The function of this new member of the relaxin/insulin family of peptides is discussed in detail in Ivell et al. (this volume).