INSL4
INSL4 (insulin like 4), also known as EPIL or early placenta insulin-like peptide, is a secreted member of the insulin family and the relaxin gene group. It may play a role in trophoblast development and in the regulation of bone formation. Browse Assay Genie's current range of INSL4 research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
INSL4 is a secreted peptide that belongs to the insulin family. According to UniProt, it may play an important role in trophoblast development and in the regulation of bone formation. Its name, early placenta insulin-like peptide, reflects the tissue in which it was first characterised and where its products are found.
The INSL4 gene encodes a precursor that undergoes post-translational cleavage to produce three polypeptide chains, designated A to C. These chains form tertiary structures composed of either all three chains or only the A and B chains, a processing pattern typical of insulin superfamily members. Expression of INSL4 products occurs within the early placental cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, the cell layers that make up the trophoblast.
HGNC classifies the gene as insulin like 4 within the relaxin family, and lists EPIL as an alias and "insulin-like 4 (placenta)" as a previous name. Researchers studying the INSL4 gene or INSL4 protein often consider it alongside other relaxin-family peptides such as INSL3, particularly in work on placental biology and bone regulation.
INSL4 products are expressed in early placental cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, making the peptide relevant to studies of placental cell layers.
UniProt annotates INSL4 as a possible contributor to trophoblast development, a focus for research into early placental formation.
INSL4 may take part in the regulation of bone formation, giving researchers a route into peptide signals affecting bone.
The precursor is cleaved into A, B and C chains, so INSL4 is a useful model for insulin-like peptide maturation.
INSL4 is a secreted insulin-family peptide. UniProt notes that it may play an important role in trophoblast development and in the regulation of bone formation. Its products are expressed in the early placental cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast.
INSL4 is also called EPIL and early placenta insulin-like peptide; an earlier HGNC name was insulin-like 4 (placenta). The precursor is cleaved into three chains, A to C, which form structures made of all three chains or of just the A and B chains.
INSL4 belongs to the insulin family and sits in the HGNC relaxin family gene group. INSL3 is another relaxin-family member. Check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity, as no mouse or rat ortholog is given in the source data.
Other relaxin-family and insulin-superfamily peptides with products at Assay Genie.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt Q14641; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.