Insulin receptor (IR) and IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) are structurally and functionally related and belong to the tyrosine kinase receptor family. In teleosti such as salmonids and turbot, occurrence of multiple IR and IGF-IR members has been reported, but the structures of a complete set of both IR and IGF-IR members in a single teleost species have not yet been characterized. In this study, we cloned and analysed four distinct cDNA clones for IR and IGF-IR members from the liver and kidney of the Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Deduced amino acid sequence analyses and phylogenetic analysis have revealed that two of them (fIR-1 and fIR-2) belong to IR members and the other two (fIGF-IR-1 and fIGF-IR-2) are IGF-IRs. fIR-1 and fIR-2 comprised 1369 and 1368 amino acid residues respectively, and fIGF-IR-1 and fIGF-IR-2 comprised 1412 and 1418 residues respectively. All the receptor proteins contained cysteine-rich domains in their alpha-subunits, and conserved each transmembrane and tyrosine kinase domains in their beta-subunits. The amino acid sequences of fIRs and fIGF-IRs showed more than 90% sequence identity with turbot IR and IGF-IR respectively. When compared with their mammalian homologues, fIGF-IR-1 and fIGF-IR-2 proteins contained large insertions at their C-termini, as was observed in the corresponding region of turbot IGF-IR. Occurrence of multiple species of mRNA for each IR and IGF-IR was suggested by Northern blot analyses. A ribonuclease protection assay revealed diverse expressions of four receptor mRNAs in a wide range of tissues including heart, liver, ovary, testis, brain, gill arch, kidney, skeletal muscle, intestine, stomach, spleen and eye of the flounder.

Abstract

The mRNA species for prolactin receptor (PRL-R) isoforms, long and short form PRL-Rs, were estimated by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method in the rat brain (cerebrum) during the oestrous cycle, pregnancy and lactation. The levels of long form PRL-R mRNA increased at pro-oestrus and oestrus, at the same time as serum prolactin levels increased, whereas the mRNA level of short form PRL-R was relatively unchanged. Long form PRL-R mRNA expression was also markedly increased in the brain at mid- and late gestation, and this elevated mRNA level was maintained during the period of lactation. In contrast, basal levels of short form PRL-R mRNA were also maintained throughout these periods of gestation and lactation. Ovariectomy moderately reduced brain mRNA levels of both long and short form PRL-R from the levels of those in control dioestrous rats, and hypophysectomy further suppressed them to the lowest levels. Administration of oestradiol valerate (E₂V) or 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17OHPC) to ovariectomized rats resulted in dramatic increases in long form PRL-R mRNA levels in the brain, whereas no significant increase in short form PRL-R mRNA was observed. In rats which were ovariectomized and hypophysectomized, the administration of 17OHPC, rat prolactin or rat GH partially restored the brain level of long form PRL-R mRNA but not short form PRL-R mRNA. E₂V, on the other hand, had no effect on the expression of brain PRL-R mRNAs in these hypophysectomized rats, suggesting that the stimulatory effect of E₂V on long form PRL-R mRNA expression in ovariectomized rats was mediated by an enhanced secretion of a pituitary hormone, prolactin. These results suggest that the expression of long form PRL-R mRNA in the rat brain is directly induced by progesterone, prolactin or GH during the oestrous cycle, pregnancy and lactation.

Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 141, 325–333

Abstract

Prolactin receptor (PRL-R) mRNA expression levels in the female rat brain (cerebrum) during pup contact stimulation were determined by the reverse transcription-PCR method. The high expression levels of long form PRL-R mRNA found in the brain of lactating rats were markedly reduced by removal of pups, and long form PRL-R mRNA levels were recovered by resumption of pup contact. Interestingly, pup contact stimuli of nulliparous virgin rats also markedly induced long form but not short form PRL-R mRNA expression in the brain in 1·3 days, together with the expression of maternal behaviour. In ovariectomized (OVX) or hypophysectomized (HYPOX) virgin rats, or in OVX plus HYPOX virgin rats, however, brain long form PRL-R mRNA was not significantly induced by pup contact stimuli for as long as 7 days, while maternal behaviour was fully expressed in these rats after 7 days of pup contact. The in situ hybridization experiments revealed that the long form PRL-R mRNA induced in virgin rats in contact with pups or in lactating rats was localized in the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus. No significant increase in mRNA was detected in other regions of the brain, such as the hypothalamus or cortex, in these maternal female rats. These results suggest that pup contact induces the expression of long form PRL-R mRNA in the choroid plexus of the brain in the presence of female sex steroid and pituitary hormones for the rapid expression of maternal behaviour. Our studies also suggested that maternal behaviour can be expressed in OVX or HYPOX rats after exposure to pups for 7 days without any significant increase in brain PRL-R mRNA expression.

Journal of Endocrinology (1996) 149, 335–340

Abstract

Prolactin (PRL) exerts a wide variety of physiological effects on mammalian tissues through its receptor (PRL-R) on the target cells. PRL-R in rat tissue consists of two isoforms, the long and the short form, and the regulatory mechanisms of their mRNA expression in tissues are complex and diverse. The present study reports the differential regulation of PRL-R mRNA expression in rat liver and kidney by testosterone and oestradiol. Using Northern blot analysis, short form PRL-R mRNA was clearly detected in female rat liver and male rat kidney, and long form PRL-R mRNA was faintly observed only in female rat liver. However, the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method enabled efficient analysis of mRNA levels in short and long forms of PRL-R in the liver and kidney of both male and female rats. The mRNA levels for the long and short forms of PRL-R were depressed in the liver of male rats but not in that from female rats during sexual maturation. Castration of male rats resulted in the induction of the mRNAs for these two forms of PRL-R in the liver. Testosterone, but not oestradiol, completely blocked the induction by castration of liver PRL-R gene expression. In kidney, in contrast, mRNA levels for both forms of PRL-R were depressed in female rats but not in male rats after sexual maturation. Administration of oestradiol, but not of testosterone, caused marked repression of short form PRL-R mRNA, particularly in the kidney of male rats. The levels of long form PRL-R mRNA in the kidney was less affected by the administration of oestradiol. These results have suggested that the expression of PRL-R mRNAs in rat liver and kidney is differentially regulated by testosterone and oestrogen.

Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 143, 383–392

Abstract

To elucidate whether and how IGF-I is involved in the regeneration of the pancreas after partial pancreatectomy, IGF-I mRNA expression, IGF-I protein synthesis, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and DNA replication in the remnant pancreas were determined in the dog. After pancreatectomy, IGF-I mRNA expression was remarkably enhanced in the remnant pancreas, showing the maximal value at post-operative day (POD) 1. Subsequently, IGF-I synthesis in the tissue was significantly stimulated at POD 2, and its maximal concentration was observed at POD 3. Following IGF-I synthesis, ODC activity was induced and its maximal activity was also obtained at POD 3. Finally, DNA replication was induced in the remnant pancreas, and its maximal level was observed at POD 5. These responses in the remnant pancreatic tissue to partial pancreatectomy were greatly enhanced as the resection rate was increased up to 95%. Positive correlations were observed between IGF-I concentrations in the remnant pancreas and the activities of ODC and DNA synthesis in the tissue after 95% pancreatectomy. These results suggest that the gene expression of IGF-I is rapidly induced in the remnant pancreas after partial pancreatectomy, and subsequently synthesized endogenous IGF-I peptides may stimulate ODC and other cell growth-related activities in the tissue in paracrine and/or autocrine manners eventually to induce DNA replication and tissue regeneration.

Journal of Endocrinology (1996) 149, 259–267

Growth hormone receptor (GHR) cDNA and gene of the Japanese flounder (Paralicthys olivaceus) were cloned and their molecular structures were characterized. The 641 amino acid sequence predicted from the cDNA sequence showed more than 75% overall sequence similarity with GHRs of other teleosts such as turbot and goldfish, and contained common structural features of vertebrate GHRs. The extracellular domain of flounder GHR had three pairs of cysteines and an FGEFS motif with a replacement E to D. The cytoplasmic domain contained two conserved motifs referred to as box 1 and box 2. The flounder GHR gene was cloned by PCR using primers designed from the sequence of the GHR cDNA. The GHR gene was composed of 10 exons. The sequence of exon 1 corresponded to the 5'-untranslated region of the cDNA, and exons 2-6 encoded most parts of the extracellular domain. The transmembrane domain was found in exon 7, and the intracellular domain was encoded in exons 8-10. Exon 10 also encoded the 3'-untranslated region. Comparison of the flounder GHR gene with the human GHR gene shows that the flounder gene contains no exons corresponding to exon 3 of the human GHR gene, and that the region corresponding to exon 10 in the human GHR gene is encoded by exons 9 and 10 in the flounder GHR gene. These findings indicate that the flounder GHR gene diverged from those of mammalian and avian GHR genes, especially in the organization of the exons encoding the cytoplasmic domain. In addition to the regular form of GHR mRNA, a 3'-truncated form lacking the region derived from exons 9 and 10 was detected as a minor species in the liver by RT-PCR and by RNase protection assay. RT-PCR analysis showed that both the regular and the 3'-truncated GHR mRNAs are expressed in a wide range of flounder tissues with the highest levels being found in the liver. The 5'-flanking region of the flounder GHR gene was cloned by inverse PCR, and three transcription start points were identified with similar frequency by RNase protection assay.