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Query: UNIPROT:P06889 (Mol)
 630,302 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The tissue-specific expression of the PRL and GH genes is dependent on the presence of a pituitary-specific trans-activator, GHF-1/Pit-1. Previous studies indicate that somatic cell hybridization of rat pituitary GH3 cells with LB82 mouse fibroblasts frequently results in the extinction of GH and PRL expression. The extinction of the GH gene occurs at the transcriptional level, and is accompanied by repression of GHF-1/Pit-1 synthesis. To elucidate the mechanism of PRL extinction we further characterized these same somatic cell hybrid lines as well as the parental GH3 and LB82 cells. The pattern of PRL extinction and reexpression paralleled that of GH in the three hybrid lines that were examined. Two of these lines extinguished both GH and PRL synthesis, while a third displayed reexpression of both genes, apparently due to the loss of mouse chromosomal material. These studies revealed that the extinction of PRL expression in these hybrid lines occurs at the level of mRNA accumulation and is strongly correlated with the loss of GHF-1/Pit-1 mRNA and protein synthesis. These data suggest that in pituitary x fibroblast hybrids repression of the trans-activator GHF-1/Pit-1 is a primary mechanism for the extinction of PRL and GH gene expression.
Mol Endocrinol 1992 May
PMID:Extinction of prolactin gene expression in somatic cell hybrids is correlated with the repression of the pituitary-specific trans-activator GHF-1/Pit-1. 160 87

Proliferin (PLF), a protein which has homology to PRL and GH, has been implicated in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. PLF1 was detected and found to be differentially regulated during myogenesis in the rodent myogenic cell line C2C12. Transient and stable constitutive high level expression of PLF1 repressed expression of the transfected cardiac and skeletal alpha-actin myogenic-specific promoters, but did not affect expression of the cytoskeletal beta-actin and several viral promoters linked to CAT. Stable cotransfection analyses of 5' unidirectionally deleted actin promoters and a PLF expression vector indicated that PLF exerted its effect on transcription down-stream of nucleotide positions -177 and -154 with respect to the start of transcription at 1 in the cardiac and skeletal alpha-actin promoters. Analyses of cells stably transfected with PLF showed reduced levels of MyoD mRNA, a recently identified gene that is sufficient to convert pluripotential 10T1/2 cells into myoblasts. However, transient constitutive expression of MyoD by the Moloney sarcoma virus long terminal repeat did not override the effect of PLF. Electrophoretic mobility shift analysis of nuclear extracts from C2C12 cells stably transfected with a PLF expression vector displayed drastically reduced levels or activity of the CArG-binding factor (CBF) relative to the ubiquitously expressed transcription factor Oct-1. High affinity interaction between CBF and alpha-actin promoter sequences in vitro directly correlates with functional in vivo expression. CBF is a transcription factor that is sufficient and necessary for myogenic-specific transcription, interacts with the promoter sequences targeted by PLF, and is immunologically related to the serum response factor. In conclusion, PLF selectively represses myogenic-specific transcription within the actin multigene family by suppressing the level and/or activity of a trans-acting factor (CBF) that modulates multiple muscle-specific genes. The data provide a molecular explanation for the inhibition of differentiation by an endogenously produced growth factor/hormone that is differentially expressed during myogenesis and a physiologically important antagonistic regulator of muscle-specific transcription.
Mol Endocrinol 1991 Jun
PMID:Proliferin, a prolactin/growth hormone-like peptide represses myogenic-specific transcription by the suppression of an essential serum response factor-like DNA-binding activity. 165 42

In the rat pituitary cell line GH3, carbachol inhibits PRL secretion in a pertussis toxin-sensitive manner. For elucidation of the underlying mechanisms, we studied the effect of carbachol on voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents. Under voltage-clamp conditions, carbachol inhibited whole-cell Ca2+ currents by about 25%. This inhibitory action of carbachol was not observed in cells treated with pertussis toxin, indicating the involvement of a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein. In membranes of GH3 cells, carbachol stimulated a pertussis toxin-sensitive high-affinity GTPase. In immunoblot experiments with peptide antisera, we identified two forms of the Gi alpha-subunit (41 and 40 kDa) and two forms of the Go alpha-subunit (40 and 39 kDa). The 40-kDa Gi alpha-subunit was recognized by an antibody specific for the Gi2 alpha-subunit, and the 39-kDa Go alpha-subunit was detected by an antibody specific for the Go2 alpha-subunit. Incubation of membranes with the photoreactive GTP analog [alpha-32P]GTP azidoanilide resulted in photo-labelling of 40- and 39-kDa pertussis toxin substrates comigrating with G-protein alpha-subunits of the corresponding molecular masses. Carbachol dose-dependently stimulated incorporation of the photoreactive GTP analog into the 39-kDa pertussis toxin substrate and, to a lesser extent, into 40-kDa pertussis toxin substrates. The data indicate that muscarinic receptors of GH3 cells couple preferentially to Go, which is likely to be involved in the inhibition of secretion, possibly by conferring an inhibitory effect to voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.
Mol Endocrinol 1991 Jul
PMID:Inhibition of voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents and activation of pertussis toxin-sensitive G-proteins via muscarinic receptors in GH3 cells. 165 34

LH, FSH, and TSH are heterodimeric glycoprotein hormones composed of a common alpha-subunit and unique beta-subunits. The alpha-subunit is produced in two distinct specialized cell types of the pituitary gland: gonadotropes, which synthesize LH and FSH, and thyrotropes, which synthesize TSH. We have demonstrated that 313 base pairs of the bovine-alpha subunit promoter direct expression of diphtheria toxin A chain specifically to the gonadotropes in transgenic mice. Animals carrying this transgene generally exhibit reproductive failure and lack of gonadal differentiation, consistent with gonadotrope ablation. Lack of gonadotrope activity was verified by RIA and immunohistochemical staining for LH. The phenotype of these transgenic mice is nearly identical to mice homozygous for the spontaneous mutation, hpg, which is due to a deletion in the gene encoding GnRH. Thyrotrope function was judged normal based on overall growth of the animals, appearance of their thyroids, T4 levels measured by RIA, and immunohistochemical staining for TSH. The ablation of gonadotropes but not thyrotropes suggests that separate cis-acting elements are necessary for expression of the alpha-subunit gene in these two cell types. Pituitary content of ACTH and GH was apparently normal, while PRL synthesis and storage were reduced. Thus, in a pituitary almost completely devoid of gonadotropes, most other pituitary functions were normal. This suggests that most pituitary cells are able to differentiate independently of terminal gonadotrope differentiation and can function in the absence of paracrine signaling provided by gonadotropes.
Mol Endocrinol 1991 Dec
PMID:Targeted ablation of pituitary gonadotropes in transgenic mice. 166 5

We have examined the changes which occur in neuronal expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA in response to castration and hyperprolactinemia (HP) in male rats. Steady-state mRNA levels were determined by quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) using 35S-labeled synthetic 48-base oligodeoxynucleotide probes. Castration produced a 27% increase in TH mRNA in the periventricular and arcuate nuclei. PRL-exposed rats exhibited a further 27% increase in the level of TH mRNA and a striking 48% increase in POMC mRNA in periarcuate region cell bodies. These results indicate that gonadal steroids and PRL are involved, either directly or indirectly, in regulating the biosynthesis of TH and POMC in the hypothalamus.
Brain Res Mol Brain Res 1991 Jun
PMID:Tyrosine hydroxylase and POMC mRNA in the arcuate region are increased by castration and hyperprolactinemia. 167 16

The whey acidic protein (WAP) is a major milk protein. It is abundantly expressed in mammary epithelial cells, and its gene is controlled by lactogenic hormones. The identification of regulatory cis-acting sequences of the mouse WAP gene was so far dependent on the analysis of transgenic animals. We report here the possibility of analyzing regulatory sequences by gene transfer experiments using the lactogenic hormone-dependent mammary epithelial cell line HC11. A WAP-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct containing 2.5 kilobases of the 5'-flanking sequence of the WAP gene was stably transfected into HC11 cells. High chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity was induced in pools of transfected cells cultured in the presence of the lactogenic hormones glucocorticoid, PRL, and insulin. A lower induction was observed by glucocorticoid hormone alone. PRL by itself was not able to induce the WAP gene promoter above the level observed in the absence of lactogenic hormones. A time course of hormone induction showed a weak initial response with a steady increase over at least 4 days of hormone treatment. Induction was not observable in the mammary epithelial cell line NOG-8 and NIH3T3 fibroblasts, despite the presence of functional glucocorticoid receptor in these cells. This indicates the requirement for a cell type-specific transcription factor present in the mammary epithelial cell line HC11, but not in NOG-8 epithelial cells or NIH3T3 fibroblasts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mol Endocrinol 1991 Nov
PMID:Lactogenic hormone and cell type-specific control of the whey acidic protein gene promoter in transfected mouse cells. 168 65

Dihydropyridine (DHP) Ca2+ channel modulators were used to explore the relationship between voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and PRL secretion, synthesis, and mRNA in PRL-secreting pituitary cells. Optical isomers of the Ca2+ channel agonist Bay K 8644 produced stereospecific and opposing effects on L-type Ca2+ current, PRL release, and synthesis in GH3 and GH4C1 cells. (-)-Bay K 8644 (R5417) behaved as a pure agonist, enhancing Ca2+ current several-fold while shifting the current-voltage curve 10-15 mV in the hyperpolarizing direction. The agonist effect was independent of holding potential, but decreased during prolonged Ba2+ or Ca2+ entry. R5417 produced a concentration-dependent increase in acute PRL release and enhanced PRL production by GH cells several-fold during a 72-h period. (+)-Bay K 8644 (R4407) behaved as a weak Ca2+ channel antagonist, inhibiting L-type Ca2+ current, KCl-stimulated PRL secretion, and PRL production at concentrations of 0.5-5 microM. These two isomers produced similar effects on PRL production by normal rat pituitary cells in dispersed culture. R5417 (500 nM) increased PRL produced in 72 h to 233 +/- 8% of the control value. R4407 reduced this quantity by 36 +/- 9%. The effects of the DHPs on PRL mRNA levels were consistent with the effects observed for acute secretion and hormone production. The agonist R5417 increased PRL mRNA 147 +/- 5% over a 30-h period, and the potent DHP Ca2+ channel blocker nimodipine inhibited PRL mRNA production 2-fold. These results demonstrate that racemic Bay K 8644 interacts with L-type Ca2+ channels in normal and transformed pituitary cells as a mixed agonist-antagonist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mol Endocrinol 1990 May
PMID:Opposing actions of Bay K 8644 enantiomers on calcium current, prolactin secretion, and synthesis in pituitary cells. 170 74

The dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel modulators (-) Bay K 8644 (R5417) and nimodipine were used to study the role of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in the regulation of PRL gene transcription in GH3 cells. Fusion constructs containing 5'-flanking sequences from the rat PRL gene linked to either the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene or the firefly luciferase gene were transiently expressed in GH3 cells and the transcriptional response to Ca2+ channel modulators was assessed. The Ca2+ channel agonist R5417 enhanced the transcription of a PRL-CAT fusion gene containing 2.5 kilobase (kb) pairs of the 5'-flanking sequence. This response was completely blocked by the Ca2+ channel blocker nimodipine demonstrating that sequences in the PRL 5'-flanking region confer response to Ca2+. Transfection with PRL-CAT constructs containing 2.5 kb to 0.6 kb pairs of 5'-flanking sequence were responsive to Ca2+, although those which contained the distal enhancer region (positions-1765 to -1495) had much higher basal expression. The possibility that the distal enhancer might contain Ca2(+)-responsive elements was tested by comparing the response to R5417 and TRH for both the proximal enhancer region (approximately first 300 base pair of the 5'-flanking sequence) and distal enhancer regions linked to the thymidine kinase promoter and CAT. The results demonstrate that these two regions contribute to the overall transcriptional response to Ca2+ and TRH. The distal region does not confer a response to phorbol ester, while the proximal region is responsive to that treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mol Endocrinol 1990 May
PMID:Pituitary calcium channel modulation and regulation of prolactin gene expression. 170 75

From the human B-lymphoblastoid cell line IM-9-P, we derived the IM-9-P series of clonal sublines that differ from each other in the degree of human PRL (hPRL) production. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the different levels of hPRL gene activity in these cell lines, we investigated the methylation status of the gene, since the methylation pattern of cytosine-residues in CpG dinucleotides has been implicated with the transcriptional activity of eukaryotic genes. Restriction enzyme analysis of the hPRL gene with methylation-sensitive endonucleases disclosed no correlation between the extent of methylation and gene activity for ThaI, AvaI, and HhaI recognition sequences. Hypermethylation of a MspI site (CCGG) in the second protein-coding exon, however, was found to coincide with hPRL gene activity. Exposure of the cells to the nucleoside 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine, which has been reported to increase enzymatic DNA-methylation, led to an elevation of hPRL production that persisted after removal of the drug. However, treatment of PRL-positive cells with the demethylating cytidine analog, 5-azacytidine, caused a distinct and heritable reduction of hPRL secretion and hPRL mRNA abundance, concurrent with hypomethylation of the specific MspI site that is hypomethylated in PRL-negative cell lines of the IM-9-P family. Contrasting the generally favored inverse relationship between methylation and transcriptional activity of a gene we describe a system in which site-specific methylation is positively correlated with gene expression.
Mol Endocrinol 1990 Dec
PMID:Human prolactin gene expression: positive correlation between site-specific methylation and gene activity in a set of human lymphoid cell lines. 170 26

Alph alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M), a protease inhibitor which also binds growth factors and cytokines, is temporally expressed in association with remodelling phenomena in the ovary: ovulation and luteinization. Specific hormonal, cellular, subcellular, and molecular events regulating alpha 2M mRNA and protein have been analyzed during follicular growth, ovulation, and luteinization using complementary in vivo and in vitro models. Data demonstrate that alpha 2M mRNA and protein are synthesized in thecal cells of developing follicles in response to low levels of LH. Conversely, alpha 2M mRNA and protein are only synthesized by granulosa cells of follicles that have been stimulated to luteinize either in vivo by the LH surge or in vitro by FSH and testosterone and are also exposed to PRL. The obligatory requirement for PRL is specific; associated with increased numbers of PRL-binding sites; mediated by time-dependent appearance of alpha 2M in the endoplasmic reticulum (12 h), Golgi apparatus (24 h), and secretion vesicles (48 h); and involves in part increased transcription of the alpha 2M gene.
Mol Endocrinol 1991 Sep
PMID:Regulation of alpha 2-macroglobulin by luteinizing hormone and prolactin during cell differentiation in the rat ovary. 172 70


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