Introduction
Prolactin, a pituitary hormone, is crucial for milk production, salt and water balance, growth, development, and reproduction. Its action begins by binding to a specific membrane receptor, the prolactin receptor, a member of the class 1 cytokine receptor superfamily. Prolactin's diverse functions encompass ion transport, osmoregulation, milk and protein synthesis stimulation, and the regulation of various reproductive processes. It exerts its effects on different cell types through a signal transduction pathway initiated by binding to the transmembrane Prolactin receptor (PRLR). PRLR exhibits size variations (short and long forms) depending on tissue source and species, ranging from approximately 40 kDa to 100 kDa. The PRL-R structure consists of at least three distinct domains: an extracellular region with five cysteines containing the prolactin binding site, a single transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic region. The length of the cytoplasmic region influences ligand binding and cellular function regulation.
Description
The Extracellular Domain of the human Prolactin Receptor, recombinantly produced in E. coli, is a non-glycosylated polypeptide chain containing 210 amino acids with a molecular mass of 23.97 kDa. The Prolactin Receptor is purified using proprietary chromatographic techniques following the methods described by Bignon et al. (1994) JBC 269; 3318-24 and its activity is assessed as per Gertler et al. (1996) JBC 271; 24482-91.
Physical Appearance
Sterile filtered white powder.
Formulation
The Prolactin Receptor is lyophilized from a concentrated solution (0.4 mg/ml) containing 0.0045 mM NaHCO3.
Solubility
For reconstitution, it is recommended to dissolve the lyophilized PRLR in sterile 18 MΩ·cm H2O to a concentration of no less than 100 µg/ml and no more than 1 mg/ml. This solution can be further diluted with other aqueous solutions.
Stability
Lyophilized PRL-R, while stable at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, should be stored desiccated below -18 °C, or preferably at -80 °C, to prevent dimer formation. After reconstitution, PRL-R should be stored sterile at 4 °C for 2-7 days. For long-term storage, freezing at -18 °C or below is recommended. Adding a carrier protein (0.1% HSA or BSA) is advisable for storage at 4 °C. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles should be avoided as they can lead to protein oligomerization.
Purity
The purity is determined to be greater than 97.0% using the following methods: (a) SEC-HPLC analysis, (b) SDS-PAGE analysis, and (c) Gel filtration at pH 8 under non-denaturing conditions.
Biological Activity
The activity is assessed by the dose-dependent inhibition of Prolactin-stimulated proliferation of Nb2 cells and by high-affinity binding of ovine Prolactin and other lactogenic hormones in a 1:1 molar ratio.
Protein Content
Protein content is determined using UV spectroscopy at 280 nm, employing an absorbency value of 2.63 as the extinction coefficient for a 0.1% (1 mg/ml) solution. This value is calculated using the PC GENE computer analysis program for protein sequences (IntelliGenetics).
Amino Acid Sequence
AGKPEIFKCRSPNKETFTCWWRPGTDGGLPTNYSLTYHREGETLMHECPDYITGGPNSCH
FGKQYTSMWRTYIMMVNATNQMGSSFSDELYVDVTYIVQPDPPLELAVEVKQPEDRKPYL
WIKWSPPTLIDLKTGWFTLLYEIRLKPEKAAEWEIHFAGQQTEFKILSLHPGQKYLVQVR
CKPDHGYWSAWSPATFIQIPSDFTMNDTTVW.