Progress in research of the structure and function of Elabela/APJ signal

Elabelas/Toddlers belong to a group of endogenous active peptides recently discovered from zebrafish. The sequences of these peptides have 25% homology to Apelin. These peptides regulate physiological functions of organisms through putative protein receptors related to the angiotensin receptor AT1 (APJ). Functional roles of Elabela include early embryonic development, angiogenesis, fluid homeostasis, and feeding or dietary behavior control. Elabela also participates in the development of many diseases, such as heart failure, preeclampsia, acute kidney injury, hypertension, and diabetes. Increasingly, studies have shown that Elabela/APJ signaling can promote normal development of early embryos, including differentiation of mesoderm and endoderm, and formation of cardiac morphology and function. At the same time, the signaling can also promote angiogenesis or migration and proliferation of tumor cells. Here we describe the molecular structure, biological characteristics, functions and application prospects of Elabela/APJ signaling.