INSL4, Early placenta insulin-like peptide, EPIL, Insulin-like peptide 4, Placentin
INSL4 encodes the insulin-like 4 protein, a member of the insulin superfamily. INSL4 encodes a precursor that undergoes post-translational cleavage to produce 3 polypeptide chains, A-C, that form tertiary structures composed of either all three chains, or just the A and B chains. Expression of INSL4 products occurs within the early placental cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008],developmental stage:Highly expressed in the early placenta. Expression of epil peptides in the villous cytotrophoblast is different from that displayed by the syncytiotrophoblast. In fetal tissues it was identified in the perichondrium of all four limbs, vertebrae, and ribs. It was abundant in interbone ligaments.,function:May play an important role in trophoblast development and in the regulation of bone formation.,similarity:Belongs to the insulin family.,tissue specificity:Expressed in placenta, uterus and in fetal perichondrium. Expression levels were increased in both early placentas and molar pregnancies and were reduced in choriocarcinoma cells.,
