Solution structure and novel insights into the determinants of the receptor specificity of human relaxin-3

J Biol Chem. 2006 Mar 3;281(9):5845-51. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M511210200. Epub 2005 Dec 19.

Abstract

Relaxin-3 is the most recently discovered member of the relaxin family of peptide hormones. In contrast to relaxin-1 and -2, whose main functions are associated with pregnancy, relaxin-3 is involved in neuropeptide signaling in the brain. Here, we report the solution structure of human relaxin-3, the first structure of a relaxin family member to be solved by NMR methods. Overall, relaxin-3 adopts an insulin-like fold, but the structure differs crucially from the crystal structure of human relaxin-2 near the B-chain terminus. In particular, the B-chain C terminus folds back, allowing Trp(B27) to interact with the hydrophobic core. This interaction partly blocks the conserved RXXXRXXI motif identified as a determinant for the interaction with the relaxin receptor LGR7 and may account for the lower affinity of relaxin-3 relative to relaxin for this receptor. This structural feature is likely important for the activation of its endogenous receptor, GPCR135.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Line
  • Cyclic AMP / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Pregnancy
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Structure, Secondary*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / chemistry
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism*
  • Relaxin / chemistry*
  • Relaxin / genetics
  • Relaxin / metabolism*
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • RLN1 protein, human
  • RLN2 protein, human
  • RLN3 protein, human
  • RXFP3 protein, human
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Relaxin
  • Cyclic AMP