Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.1.27.1 (RNase)
 16,360 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The peptide hormone relaxin is produced at high levels in the corpus luteum of the rat ovary during pregnancy. The biological effects of the hormone include remodelling of collagen in target tissues such as the cervix, and inhibition of uterine contractility. In addition, many paracrine actions for the hormone have been proposed, however sites of relaxin production outside the ovary have not been well characterized. We have investigated relaxin gene expression in a range of rat tissues using the techniques of reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR), RNase protection and immunohistochemistry. Relaxin mRNA was detected by RT/PCR in brain, uterus, prostate gland, pancreas and kidney, with other tissues giving weak signals. Relaxin gene expression in brain was detected by RNase protection, and relaxin-like immunoreactivity was observed in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus of rat brain. This characterization of sites of relaxin gene expression provides further evidence for proposed paracrine actions of relaxin which may be important in non-pregnant and male rats in addition to the pregnant female.
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PMID:Expression of the relaxin gene in rat tissues. 754 23

The nucleotide and derived amino acid sequences of tammar preprorelaxin were established by combined reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and 3'- and 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends methods, using RNA from the corpus luteum of late pregnancy as template. Relaxin gene expression was then investigated in tissues at various stages of the 26-day pregnancy and in adult males. The full-length tammar relaxin preprohormone is 579 base pairs. The derived amino acid sequence contains a probable signal peptide of 26 amino acids, a B-domain of 31 amino acids, a C-domain of 111 amino acids, and an A-domain of 24 amino acids, with sequence homologies of 49%, 38%, 47%, and 47%, respectively, to dogfish, pig, and both human relaxins, for the combined A- and B-domains of the functional peptides. The conserved amino acid residues in the B-domain confirm a region shown to be essential for binding of the peptide to its receptor. A relaxin gene is expressed in several other tissues of pregnant tammars including the placenta, follicle, and hypothalamus. Northern analysis showed a 1-kilobase relaxin transcript in the corpus luteum and placenta. Using RNase protection assays, relaxin gene expression in the corpus luteum was greater in early and mid pregnancy, reduced at term, and absent postpartum. These data demonstrate relaxin biosynthesis in both the corpus luteum and placenta in this marsupial and suggest that a relaxin physiology has been conserved during mammalian evolution.
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PMID:Marsupial relaxin: complementary deoxyribonucleic acid sequence and gene expression in the female and male tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii. 920 89

The pattern of peripheral serum concentration for the peptide hormone relaxin in women points to the possibility of an interesting paracrine function in the cycle and early pregnancy. In order to investigate this physiology in detail, it was decided to examine local relaxin biosynthesis in an established primate model for human female reproductive function, the marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus). In this initial study relaxin biosynthesis was assessed using a combination of molecular and immunological techniques through the oestrous cycle in the marmoset monkey. The nucleotide sequence of the full-length relaxin gene transcript was cloned from the marmoset ovary and found to be closely homologous to that of the human H2 relaxin. Using gene specific probes derived from this sequence, RNase protection assays, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays and in-situ hybridization, showed relaxin gene expression within the ovary in theca cells and corpora lutea in the oestrous cycle, increasing in early pregnancy. Relaxin gene expression was also identified at a low level in the uterus and placenta, and at a higher level in the prostate in the male marmoset monkey. Using two different relaxin-specific antisera, relaxin-like immunoreactivity was observed in the ovary with a pattern of distribution coincident with that obtained by in-situ hybridization. Immunoreactivity was also found in the non-pregnant uterus, within the endometrial epithelium of the late proliferative phase and increasing within the glands through the secretory phase. Taken together, the pattern of relaxin peptide and mRNA expression show there is the basis for local relaxin physiology within the ovarian follicle and corpus luteum, and within the uterus during the oestrous cycle in this new world monkey.
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PMID:Local relaxin biosynthesis in the ovary and uterus through the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy in the female marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus). 922 26

Relaxin promotes growth of reproductive tissues, including the uterus. Although we have evidence of a role for insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in mediating relaxin-induced growth of porcine granulosa cells in vitro, the mechanism of action by which relaxin enhances uterine growth has not been identified. To investigate a role for the uterine insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system in relaxin-induced uterine growth, we monitored the effects of relaxin on porcine IGFs and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) in vivo. The trophic effects of relaxin on the uterus were elicited by administering relaxin or saline to prepubertal gilts every 6 h for 54 h. Three hours after the last injection, uterine flushes, uteri, follicular fluid, and ovaries were collected. Estradiol was measured in plasma and follicular fluid to confirm the prepubertal status of each animal. Significantly higher concentrations of uterine lumen IGF-I (P < 0.05) and IGF-II (P < 0.01) were observed in animals treated with relaxin. However, relaxin administration did not affect uterine IGF-I and -II gene expression, as determined by a ribonuclease protection assay and Northern analysis, respectively. In uterine flushes, relaxin treatment increased an IGFBP doublet (33 and 34.5 kDa) and IGFBP-3. The uterine IGFBP doublet was identified as IGFBP-2 by immunoprecipitation. Plasma or follicular fluid IGFs and IGFBPs were unaffected by relaxin administration. In addition, relaxin did not influence IGF-I binding to its uterine receptor. This is the first study to demonstrate regulation of the pig uterine IGF system by relaxin. In conclusion, the data point to IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3 as putative mediators of relaxin-induced uterine growth in the pig.
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PMID:Relaxin increases insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF-binding proteins of the pig uterus in vivo. 927 49

Human endometrium is the major organ that produces glycodelin A (GdA). The production of endometrial GdA causes a fluctuation of the peripheral glycodelin concentrations in women during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. It has recently been reported that the rise of plasma concentrations of glycodelin is correlated with relaxin during the late luteal phase and early pregnancy. In addition, administration of relaxin increases glycodelin plasma concentrations, suggesting that relaxin induces GdA production in endometrium. To investigate whether relaxin regulates the GdA synthesis, human endometrial glandular epithelial cells were isolated and cultured with or without relaxin for up to 4 days. Western blot showed that GdA synthesized and secreted from epithelial glands had a major molecular weight of 28 kDa, i.e. the same as the GdA isolated from amniotic fluid. Cells incubated with relaxin consistently increased in GdA production rate (2-6-fold). The GdA mRNA concentrations increased 2-11-fold in cells incubated with relaxin for 2-4 days, as determined by solution hybridization/ribonuclease protection assay. The increase of the mRNA concentration indicates that relaxin activates GdA transcription.
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PMID:Relaxin stimulates glycodelin mRNA and protein concentrations in human endometrial glandular epithelial cells. 1032 10

Tissue distribution and cellular localization of PC1/3 mRNA in porcine tissues were examined by ribonuclease protection assay and in situ hybridization. PC1/3 mRNA was detected mainly in the corpus luteum of pregnant sow and brain. Within the ovary, PC1/3 and relaxin transcripts colocalized within large luteal cells. Levels of PC1/3 transcripts in corpora lutea increased as gestation advanced, parallel with an observed increase in relaxin transcripts. A role for PC1/3 in proprotein processing in the ovary is discussed.
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PMID:Expression and localization of prohormone convertase 1/3 (SPC3) in porcine ovary. 1106 65

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) is a recently identified member of the EGF growth factor family found to be expressed in the uterus of both mouse and human at the time of implantation. In the present study, we investigated the expression patterns of HB-EGF in normal cycling endometrium and compared its expression with the fertility-associated endometrial epithelial biomarkers alpha(v)beta(3) integrin, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and homeobox gene, HOXA-10. RNase protection assay (RPA) using RNA made from endometrium collected from different phases of the menstrual cycle demonstrated increased HB-EGF expression during the mid-secretory phase, a pattern similar to, but slightly preceding the expression of alpha(v)beta(3) integrin and HOXA-10. In vitro studies demonstrated stimulation of HB-EGF expression by estradiol-17beta (E(2)) and progesterone (P(4)) alone or in combination in stromal cells. Combined treatment with E(2) + P(4) was, however, required to stimulate epithelial HB-EGF expression. In vitro experiments demonstrated the ability of HB-EGF to stimulate epithelial expression of the key endometrial proteins including LIF, HOXA-10, and the beta(3) integrin subunit. Each has previously been demonstrated to be an important epithelial biomarker expressed during the implantation window. In addition, conditioned media from endometrial stromal cells treated with E(2) + P(4) + relaxin mimicked the stimulatory effect of HB-EGF on epithelial expression of the beta(3) integrin subunit. The stimulatory effect of the stromal-conditioned medium was blocked by antibodies that neutralize a known receptor for HB-EGF. These data suggest that uterine receptivity may be regulated in part by the stromal-derived HB-EGF.
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PMID:Regulated expression of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) in the human endometrium: a potential paracrine role during implantation. 1211 77