Discovery of a novel prolactin in non-mammalian vertebrates: evolutionary perspectives and its involvement in teleost retina development.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The three pituitary hormones, viz. prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH) and somatolactin (SL), together with the mammalian placental lactogen (PL), constitute a gene family of hormones with similar gene structure and encoded protein sequences. These hormones are believed to have evolved from a common ancestral gene through several rounds of gene duplication and subsequent divergence.

Principal findings

In this study, we have identified a new PRL-like gene in non-mammalian vertebrates through bioinformatics and molecular cloning means. Phylogenetic analyses showed that this novel protein is homologous to the previously identified PRL. A receptor transactivation assay further showed that this novel protein could bind to PRL receptor to trigger the downstream post-re

SUBMITTER: Huang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2702173 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature