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Verification of a Relaxin‐3 Knockout/ LacZ Reporter Mouse as a Model of Relaxin‐3 Deficiency
Author(s) -
Smith Craig M.,
Shen PeiJuan,
Ma Sherie,
Sutton Steve W.,
Gundlach Andrew L.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.03952.x
Subject(s) - relaxin , neurochemical , knockout mouse , neuropeptide , endocrinology , medicine , anxiety , neuroscience , biology , receptor , psychiatry
Research on the neuropeptide relaxin‐3 has predominately been conducted in rats. Anatomical studies have yielded important information on the distribution of relaxin‐3 and its cognate receptor (RXFP3) within the brain, while functional studies have implicated relaxin‐3 as a modulator of feeding and stress responses. Therefore, the relaxin‐3/RXFP3 system represents a potential target for novel drugs to treat human disorders such as obesity, anxiety, and depression, but more research into this interesting neuropeptide in different experimental species is still required. Before conducting detailed neurochemical and behavioral examinations of a recently generated relaxin‐3 knockout mouse strain, the present study determined whether this mouse was a viable model of relaxin‐3 deficiency.