Insulin-like factor 3: where are we now?

Insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3), previously known as the relaxin-like factor (RLF), is a major peptide hormone secreted from the testicular Leydig cells of adult men and circulating in the blood at a concentration of approximately 1 ng/mL. Women also produce INSL3 in the theca interna cells of ovarian follicles, but circulating levels remain below 100 pg/mL. INSL3 is structurally related to relaxin and insulin, but unlike the latter, signals through a novel G-protein-coupled receptor, LGR8. Ablation of the gene for INSL3 leads primarily to cryptorchidism because of a defect in the first, transabdominal phase of testicular descent. In the adult knockout mouse, a mild phenotype is evident in the testis and ovary. We have developed a panel of antibodies specific for INSL3 from various species, which are suitable for immunohistochemistry and, more recently, for immunoassays. INSL3 is an important marker for the mature Leydig cell phenotype, where it appears to be expressed constitutively, once the mature differentiation state is achieved. It is also an indicator of differentiation status not only for Leydig cells but also for the theca interna cells of the ovary.