Relaxin-2 was first discovered in 1926 by Frederick Hisaw . It is a 6 kDa polypeptide hormone consisting of 48 amino acids . Relaxin-2 is structurally similar to insulin and is the only relaxin that circulates in the blood . The hormone is a heterodimer composed of two peptide chains, A and B, linked by disulfide bonds .
Relaxin-2 plays a significant role in female reproduction. It is involved in:
Additionally, relaxin-2 has been found to enhance sperm motility, regulate blood pressure, control heart rate, and release oxytocin and vasopressin .
Recombinant human relaxin-2 is typically produced using Escherichia coli (E. coli) expression systems . The recombinant protein is purified to achieve a high level of purity, often greater than 97%, as determined by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions . The endotoxin level is kept below 0.01 EU per 1 μg of the protein by the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) method .
Recombinant human relaxin-2 has several applications in research and medicine: