Molecular cloning and characterization of cDNA sequences coding for rat relaxin

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Endocrinology
• Genetics

Background:

• Relaxin is a peptide hormone with diverse physiological roles, primarily in reproduction and development.
• Understanding the synthesis and structure of relaxin is crucial for elucidating its function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize the coding sequence of rat relaxin.
• To determine the structure of the precursor molecule from which relaxin is synthesized.

Main Methods:

• Utilized synthetic oligonucleotide primers for DNA isolation.
• Employed molecular cloning techniques to isolate DNA fragments from an ovarian mRNA library.
• Determined the nucleotide sequence of the cloned DNA fragments.

Main Results:

• Successfully isolated cloned DNA fragments containing the complete coding sequence of rat relaxin.
• The nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that relaxin is synthesized as a preprorelaxin molecule.
• Identified an unexpectedly large connecting peptide of 105 amino acid residues within the preprorelaxin structure.

Conclusions:

• Rat relaxin is synthesized as a preprorelaxin precursor.
• The large connecting peptide suggests complex post-translational processing or regulatory mechanisms.