Participation of membrane progesterone receptor α in the inhibitory effect of progesterone on prolactin secretion

The membrane progesterone receptors (mPRα, mPRβ, mPRγ, mPRδ and mPRε) are known to mediate rapid nongenomic progesterone functions in different cell types. However, the functions of these receptors in the pituitary have not been reported to date. In the present study, we show that the expression of mPRα was the highest among the mPRs in the rat anterior pituitary gland. Immunostaining of mPRα was detected in somatotrophs, gonadotrophs and lactotrophs. Interestingly, 63% of mPRα-positive cells within the pituitary were lactotrophs, suggesting that mPRα is involved in controlling prolactin (PRL) secretion in the pituitary. To test this hypothesis, rat pituitaries were incubated (1 hour) with either progesterone (P4) or the mPRα-specific agonist Org OD 02-0. PRL secretion was then measured by radioimmunoassay. The results of this experiment revealed that both P4 and Org OD 02-0 decreased PRL secretion. Moreover, the results from the GH3 cell line (CCL-82.1) showed that P4 and Org OD 02-0 inhibited PRL release, although the nuclear PR agonist R5020 was ineffective. Our investigation of the cellular mechanisms behind mPRα activity indicated that both P4 and Org OD 02-0 decreased cAMP accumulation, whereas R5020 was ineffective. In addition, the Org OD 02-0-effect on PRL release was blocked by pretreatment with pertussis toxin, an inhibitor of Go/Gi proteins. Because transforming growth factor (TGF)β1 is a potent inhibitor of PRL secretion in lactotrophs, we lastly evaluated whether TGFβ1 was activated by progesterone and whether this effect was mediated by mPRα. Our results showed that P4 and Org OD 02-0, but not R5020, increased active TGFβ1 levels. This effect was not observed when cells were transfected with mPRα-small interfering RNA. Taken together, these data provide new evidence suggesting that mPRα mediates the progesterone inhibitory effect on PRL secretion through both decreases in cAMP levels and activation of TGFβ1 in the lactotroph population.

Kinetics of cellobiose hydrolysis using cellobiase composites from Ttrichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger

The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose involves the formation of cellobiose as an intermediate. It has been found necessary(1) to add cellobiase from Aspergillus niger (NOVO) to the cellobiase component of Trichoderma reesei mutant Rut C-30 (Natick) cellulase enzymes in order to obtain after 48 h complete conversion of the cellobiose formed in the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass. This study of the cellobiase activity of these two enzyme sources was undertaken as a first step in the formation of a kinetic model for cellulose hydrolysis that can be used in process design. In order to cover the full range of cellobiose concentrations, it was necessary to develop separate kinetic parameters for high- and low-concentration ranges of cellobiose for the enzymes from each organism. Competitive glucose inhibition was observed with the enzymes from both organisms. Substrate inhibition was observed only with the A. niger enzymes.

An enhancer in the first intron of the human purine nucleoside phosphorylase-encoding gene

In previous studies characterizing intron-dependent expression of the human purine nucleoside phosphorylase-encoding gene (PNP), we identified a putative enhancer sequence in the first intron which was capable of mediating increased cat reporter gene expression in transfected murine NIH 3T3 cells in a position- and orientation-independent manner. In order to further characterize this enhancer activity, the nucleotide sequence was determined for the region of intron 1 to which this activity was originally ascribed. The sequence was analyzed for the presence of binding sites for known transcription factors, but none were identified. A 444-bp downstream portion of the intron-1 sequence enhanced cat expression either in conjunction with a human PNP promoter sequence or with a 105-bp heterologous herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (TK) promoter. Nested deletions of the downstream intron-1 sequence fused to a TK::cat fusion gene localized the enhancer activity to a 170-bp sequence in intron 1. A 154-bp HgiAI fragment (bp 424 to 577 of intron 1) excised from this region contained enhancer activity which varied directly with the number of fragments inserted upstream from the TK::cat fusion gene. However, inversion of the HgiAI fragment in a PNP abbreviated gene, or relocation of the HgiAI fragment from intron 1 to a position upstream from the PNP promoter, reduced or eliminated PNP expression. The effect of the intron-1 enhancer element on PNP expression is thus maximized in a position- and orientation-dependent manner.