A novel bioassay for lactogenic activity: demonstration that prolactin cells differ from one another in bio- and immuno-potencies of secreted hormone.
A reverse hemolytic plaque assay for detecting casein release from individual mammary cells in culture was developed as a bioassay for PRL. Treatment with rat PRL caused dose-related increases in the percentage of mammary cells that released casein and the average size of casein plaques that formed. The assay exhibited exquisite sensitivity (156 fg rat PRL per assay slide) and could be used to evaluate the biopotency of PRL released from individual cells. By combining this "plaque bioassay" with a standard plaque assay for measuring the secretion of immunoreactive PRL, it was possible to compare the bio- and immuno-potencies of hormone released from the same pituitary cells. The results of three separate studies revealed major differences among PRL secretors in these potency estimates. Given the existence of PRL variants with different biological and immunological efficacies, these findings suggest that PRL cells differ from one another in the molecular form(s) of hormone released.
D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D002364:Caseins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007118:Immunoassay; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D002364:Caseins; D011388:Prolactin