Lactogen-induced protein phosphorylation in Nb2 cells

Dual Effect of Prolactin on Protein Kinase C Activity in CHO Cells Expressing Functional Prolactin Receptors

We investigated the effects of prolactin (PRL) on the protein kinase C (PKC) activity in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-E32) cells stably transfected with rabbit mammary gland PRL receptor cDNA. These cells express a functional long form of PRL-R. A 10-min to 2-hour treatment with 5 nM PRL resulted in the translocation of PKC activity from the cytosol to the membrane. Longer treatment (10-24 h) with the same concentration of PRL decreased the PKC activity in both particulate and cytoplasmic fractions. The PRL effect was dose dependent: maximal action was obtained with 1-10 nM. The PRL-induced activation of PKC was blocked by 20 nM staurosporine, a PKC inhibitor. Two inhibitors of tyrosine kinase, herbimycin A (1.75 &mgr;M) and genistein (100 &mgr;M), had no effect on PRL-induced activation of PKC. Copyright 1996 S. Karger AG, Basel

Effect of various protein kinase inhibitors on the induction of milk protein gene expression by prolactin

Prolactin has many known functions and one of them is to induce the expression of milk protein gene expression in the mammary gland. Specific membrane receptors have been recently characterized but the transduction mechanism involved in the transfer of the prolactin signal to milk protein genes remains unknown. In the present work, it is shown that several protein kinase inhibitors block prolactin action on milk protein genes. Primary rabbit mammary cells were cultured for several days on floating collagen gel in a serum-free medium. Prolactin and the inhibitors of protein kinase were then added to the culture medium. After 1 day, the concentration of alpha s1-casein in the culture medium was measured using a specific radioimmunoassay. The concentration of several mRNAs in cell extracts was also evaluated using Northern blot analysis. alpha s1-Casein secretion and alpha s1-casein mRNA accumulation were induced by prolactin. This induction was blocked by staurosporine, sphingosine, quercetin, genistein and to some extent by o-hydroxyphenyl acetate, but not by H7, polymyxin B, benzylsuccinate and lavendustin A. The concentration of the mRNA coding for transferrin, which is abundantly secreted in rabbit milk independently of prolactin action, was only moderately altered by the inhibitors. The concentration of two house-keeping mRNAs, beta-actin and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, was lowered only by genistein after 1 day but not after 4 h of culture. These data show for the first time that a Ser/Thre kinase, which is not kinase C, and possibly a tyrosine kinase is involved in the transduction of the prolactin message from the receptor to the milk protein genes.

6-Dimethyl amino purine and 2-amino purine inhibit the induction of expression of milk protein genes by prolactin

Two protein kinase-inhibitors, 6-dimethyl amino purine and 2-amino purine inhibited induction of beta-casein synthesis by prolactin when added to the culture medium of rabbit mammary explant and cells. The accumulation of the mRNA for alpha s1- and beta-caseins and for whey acidic protein did not take place in the presence of the inhibitors whereas beta-actin mRNA concentration was not altered. In the same experimental conditions, H7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C and, to a lower extent, of protein kinase A did not prevent prolactin from acting. These data suggest for the first time that specific protein kinases are involved in the transduction of the prolactin signal to milk protein genes.