The mouse relaxin gene: nucleotide sequence and expression.
Relaxin is a polypeptide hormone that has a variety of physiological effects both on remodelling of collagen and on uterine contractility. These are most apparent during pregnancy. The sequences of relaxin cDNAs derived from ovaries of late-pregnant random-bred Swiss mice have been established. Multiple subclones obtained from three independent polymerase chain reaction experiments were found to encode relaxins which were identical except at position 11 in the A chain (Ile or Val). All mouse relaxin cDNAs expressed in the ovary during pregnancy had an extra tyrosine inserted prior to the final A chain cysteine residue, a result confirmed by direct sequencing of relaxin peptides. Whilst this tyrosine insertion must have local effects on the folding of the A chain, structure-activity studies will clarify whether it perturbs functional interaction with the relaxin receptor. We have shown that there is a single relaxin gene in the mouse genome, and that expression during pregnancy occurs in the ovary but is not detectable in the placenta, uterus or fetus.
Evans
B A
BA
Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
John
M
M
Fowler
K J
KJ
Summers
R J
RJ
Cronk
M
M
Shine
J
J
Tregear
G W
GW
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D012065:Relaxin / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D012065:Relaxin; D004247:DNA