Cloning and expression of the rat and human prolactin receptors

To elucidate the structure and the function of the prolactin receptor, I have used molecular biological techniques. After unsuccessful screening of expression cDNA libraries with poly- and monoclonal antibodies, synthetic oligonucleotide probes, deduced from tryptic fragment sequences of the purified receptor, were used to isolate the rat liver prolactin receptor cDNA. Using this cDNA, the regulation of prolactin receptor expression by estrogen treatment and during ontogenesis was studied in female rat liver and revealed both pre-translational and translational control of the receptor. Finally, the human prolactin receptor cDNA was isolated. It encodes a long form of receptor (598 aa) compared to the rat liver receptor (291 aa). Both forms present regions of strong identity with the growth hormone receptor, suggesting that prolactin and growth hormone receptor genes form a family