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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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RLN3
relaxin 3
Chromosome 19 · 19p13.12
NCBI Gene: 117579Ensembl: ENSG00000171136.7HGNC: HGNC:17135UniProt: B2RU28
38PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingG protein-coupled receptor bindingextracellular regionhormone activityApneaneoplasmhemoglobin D diseasemicrocytic anemia with liver iron overload
✦AI Summary

Relaxin-3 (RLN3) is a neuropeptide highly expressed in the nucleus incertus (NI), a pontine brain region conserved across species from teleosts to primates 1. RLN3 functions as a ligand for G protein-coupled receptors RXFP3 and RXFP4, mediating neuropeptide signaling in the central nervous system 2. Central RLN3 administration increases food intake and adiposity, with polymorphisms associated with obesity and hypercholesterolemia in humans 3. RLN3 exhibits pronounced sex-specific effects: females demonstrate higher sensitivity to RLN3's orexigenic effects, and stress-induced binge eating in females is blocked by RXFP3 antagonists 3. The RLN3/RXFP3 system is modulated by estrogen across the estrous cycle, implicating involvement in feeding behavior fluctuations 4. RLN3 neurons project extensively throughout the brain including the hippocampus, septum, and hypothalamus, supporting roles in arousal, learning, memory, and stress responses 1. In fish models, RLN3 is essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility through androgen production via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis 5. Recent evidence suggests RLN3 involvement in neurodegenerative pathology, with phosphorylated-tau accumulation in NI neurons of Alzheimer's disease subjects 6.

Sources cited
1
RLN3 increases food intake and adiposity; RLN3 polymorphism associated with obesity; sex-specific orexigenic effects stronger in females; stress-induced binge eating blocked by RXFP3 antagonists in females
PMID: 27245781
2
RLN3 is highly expressed in human nucleus incertus; RLN3 innervates hippocampus; phosphorylated-tau co-localizes with RLN3 in NI neurons of AD cases
PMID: 39014514
3
RLN3a required for spermatogenesis, androgen production, sperm motility, and male fertility through HPG axis regulation
PMID: 31678357
4
RLN3 is one of four relaxin family peptides signaling through RXFP receptors with physiological and disease relevance
PMID: 27922185
5
RLN3/RXFP3 system modulated by estrous cycle; estradiol inhibits RLN3-positive neurons; involvement in feeding behavior fluctuations
PMID: 33333517
6
RLN3 highly expressed in nucleus incertus across species; RLN3 neurons project to hippocampus, hypothalamus, and other brain regions; roles in arousal, feeding, learning, memory, and stress responses
PMID: 19844992
7
RLN3 is ancestral relaxin gene expressed in brain; mediates neuropeptide signaling through relaxin family peptide receptors
PMID: 20213277
Disease Associationsⓘ20
ApneaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hemoglobin D diseaseOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
microcytic anemia with liver iron overloadOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Adult-onset autosomal recessive sideroblastic anemiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
FTH1-related iron overloadOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
hemochromatosis type 5Open Targets
0.04Suggestive
Hemoglobin E - beta-thalassemiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
hemoglobin E-beta-thalassemia syndromeOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Hemolytic anemia due to red cell pyruvate kinase deficiencyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
IRIDA syndromeOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
hemoglobin E diseaseOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
dominant beta-thalassemiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
AnxietyOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
uncombable hair syndromeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
severe congenital hypochromic anemia with ringed sideroblastsOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin - beta-thalassemiaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin-beta-thalassemia syndromeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Griscelli syndrome type 1Open Targets
0.03Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
RXFP2Protein interaction99%INSL3Protein interaction99%INSL4Protein interaction99%RLN1Protein interaction99%RLN2Protein interaction99%INSL5Protein interaction99%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Lung
10%
Ovary
0%
Bone Marrow
0%
Heart
0%
Liver
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
RLN3RXFP2INSL3INSL4RLN1RLN2INSL5
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB9KFI · 2.91 Å · EM
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.79LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.21 [0.79–1.79]
RankingsWhere RLN3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #10,536of 20,598
    Most Researched38
  • #16,536of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.79
Genes detectedRLN3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Sex-specific effects of relaxin-3 on food intake and body weight gain.
PMID: 27245781
Br J Pharmacol · 2017
1.00
2
Unveiling a novel memory center in human brain: neurochemical identification of the nucleus incertus, a key pontine locus implicated in stress and neuropathology.
PMID: 39014514
Biol Res · 2024
0.90
3
Rln3a is a prerequisite for spermatogenesis and fertility in male fish.
PMID: 31678357
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol · 2020
0.80
4
Relaxin family peptides: structure-activity relationship studies.
PMID: 27922185
Br J Pharmacol · 2017
0.70
5
Estrous Cycle Modulation of Feeding and Relaxin-3/Rxfp3 mRNA Expression: Implications for Estradiol Action.
PMID: 33333517
Neuroendocrinology · 2021
0.60