Insulin Like Protein 6 (INSL6)

RIF1; Relaxin/Insulin-Like Factor 1

SPN	S899
HGNC	6089
MGI	1351595
PubMed	10819760
RGD	62061
UniProt	Q9Y581

INSL6 contains a classical signature of the insulin superfamily and is significantly similar to relaxin and relaxin-like factor. This gene is preferentially expressed in testis. Its expression in testis is restricted to interstitial cells surrounding seminiferous tubules, which suggests a role in sperm development and fertilization.

The deduced 213-amino acid protein, which shares 45% sequence identity with the mouse protein, contains the classic B-C-A domain configuration, including the 6 cysteines in the B and A domains, of the insulin/relaxin family proteins. Northern blot analysis revealed expression of a 1.2-kb transcript confined to testis. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated expression restricted to interstitial cells in mouse testis.

Reference

"Cloning of two novel mammalian paralogs of relaxin/insulin family proteins and their expression in testis and kidney."
Mol. Endocrinol. 13:2163-2174(1999) [PubMed] [Europe PMC] [Abstract]

"Identification of INSL6, a new member of the insulin family that is expressed in the testis of the human and Rat."
Biol. Reprod. 62:1593-1599(2000) [PubMed] [Europe PMC] [Abstract]

"DNA sequence and analysis of human chromosome 9."
Nature 429:369-374(2004) [PubMed] [Europe PMC] [Abstract]

"The status, quality, and expansion of the NIH full-length cDNA project: the Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC)."
Genome Res. 14:2121-2127(2004) [PubMed] [Europe PMC] [Abstract]