HomeAboutRankingsData Sources
© 2026 GeneE
🧬
GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
ⓘGeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
RXFP3
relaxin family peptide receptor 3
Chromosome 5 · 5p13.2
NCBI Gene: 51289Ensembl: ENSG00000182631.7HGNC: HGNC:24883UniProt: Q9NSD7
30PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Receptor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
positive regulation of cytokinesisplasma membranegalanin receptor activityneuropeptide signaling pathwaybasal cell carcinomasquamous cell carcinomacutaneous melanomaage-related macular degeneration
✦AI Summary

RXFP3 (relaxin family peptide receptor 3) is a G protein-coupled receptor that primarily binds relaxin-3, a neuropeptide abundantly expressed in GABAergic neurons with well-conserved distribution across species 1. The receptor couples to Gi/o proteins and inhibits cAMP accumulation upon ligand binding 2. RXFP3 is widely distributed throughout the forebrain, including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, where it modulates multiple physiological processes 1. The relaxin-3/RXFP3 signaling system plays critical roles in stress responses, anxiety-related behaviors, feeding and metabolism, arousal, motivation and reward, circadian rhythms, and learning and memory 13. Electrophysiological studies demonstrate that RXFP3 agonists can directly hyperpolarize thalamic neurons 1. Recent structural studies reveal that relaxin-3 can activate both RXFP3 and RXFP4, with the C-terminal residues of relaxin-3's B chain making extensive contacts with conserved receptor residues 4. The system shows therapeutic potential for treating neuropsychiatric disorders including anxiety, depression, obesity, and alcohol addiction 56. RXFP3 has also been detected in human spermatozoa, suggesting additional reproductive functions 7.

Sources cited
1
RXFP3 binds relaxin-3, is distributed in forebrain regions, and modulates stress, anxiety, feeding, arousal, and memory
PMID: 27774604
2
RXFP3 couples to Gi/o proteins and is present throughout forebrain target regions
PMID: 29722152
3
Relaxin-3/RXFP3 system regulates stress responses, feeding, metabolism, motivation and reward
PMID: 24065955
4
Structural basis showing relaxin-3 C-terminal residues make extensive contacts with conserved RXFP3 residues
PMID: 40410443
5
RXFP3 system shows therapeutic potential for metabolic and neuropsychiatric diseases
PMID: 38573177
6
System promotes arousal and suppresses depressive- and anxiety-like behavior
PMID: 34537263
7
RXFP3 detected in human spermatozoa, suggesting reproductive functions
PMID: 29159832
Disease Associationsⓘ20
basal cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.29Weak
squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.28Weak
cutaneous melanomaOpen Targets
0.28Weak
age-related macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
tooth diseaseOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
actinic keratosisOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
X-linked retinal dysplasiaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
corneal neovascularizationOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Familial exudative vitreoretinopathyOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
retinitis pigmentosaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
choroidal dystrophy, central areolar, 1Open Targets
0.06Suggestive
severe early-childhood-onset retinal dystrophyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Stargardt diseaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
reticular dystrophy of the retinal pigment epitheliumOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
age related macular degeneration 11Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
age related macular degeneration 2Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
age related macular degeneration 4Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
age related macular degeneration 6Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
age related macular degeneration 7Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
Familial drusenOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
RXFP1Protein interaction100%RXFP2Protein interaction99%RLN3Protein interaction99%GNAI3Protein interaction99%GNAI1Protein interaction98%INSL3Protein interaction96%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Lung
0%
Bone Marrow
0%
Ovary
0%
Heart
0%
Liver
0%
Brain
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
RXFP3RXFP1RXFP2RLN3GNAI3GNAI1INSL3
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB9KFI · 2.91 Å · EM
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.54LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.14 [0.85–1.54]
RankingsWhere RXFP3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #12,029of 20,598
    Most Researched30
  • #15,385of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.54
Genes detectedRXFP3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Distribution, physiology and pharmacology of relaxin-3/RXFP3 systems in brain.
PMID: 27774604
Br J Pharmacol · 2017
1.00
2
Modulation of forebrain function by nucleus incertus and relaxin-3/RXFP3 signaling.
PMID: 29722152
CNS Neurosci Ther · 2018
0.90
3
Expression and localisation of RXFP3 in human spermatozoa and impact of INSL7 on sperm functions.
PMID: 29159832
Andrologia · 2018
0.80
4
Targeting the relaxin-3/RXFP3 system: a patent review for the last two decades.
PMID: 38573177
Expert Opin Ther Pat · 2024
0.70
5
The putative role of the relaxin-3/RXFP3 system in clinical depression and anxiety: A systematic literature review.
PMID: 34537263
Neurosci Biobehav Rev · 2021
0.60