Prolactin family of the guinea pig, Cavia porcellus.
Prolactin (PRL) is a multifunctional hormone with prominent roles in regulating growth and reproduction. The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) has been extensively used in endocrine and reproduction research. Thus far, the PRL cDNA and protein have not been isolated from the guinea pig. In the present study, we used information derived from the public guinea pig genome database as a tool for identifying guinea pig PRL and PRL-related proteins. Guinea pig PRL exhibits prominent nucleotide and amino acid sequence differences when compared with PRLs of other eutherian mammals. In contrast, guinea pig GH is highly conserved. Expression of PRL and GH in the guinea pig is prominent in the anterior pituitary, similar to known expression patterns of PRL and GH for other species. Two additional guinea pig cDNAs were identified and termed PRL-related proteins (PRLRP1, PRLRP2). They exhibited a more distant relationship to PRL and their expression was restricted to the placenta. Recombinant guinea pig PRL protein was generated and shown to be biologically active in the PRL-responsive Nb2 lymphoma cell bioassay. In contrast, recombinant guinea pig PRLRP1 protein did not exhibit PRL-like bioactivity. In summary, we have developed a new set of research tools for investigating the biology of the PRL family in an important animal model, the guinea pig.
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Maternal-Fetal Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA.
S M Khorshed
SM
Alam
Toshihiro
T
Konno
M A Karim
MA
Rumi
Yafeng
Y
Dong
Carl P
CP
Weiner
Michael J
MJ
Soares
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011981:Receptors, Prolactin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D011981:Receptors, Prolactin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone