A prolactin-releasing peptide in the brain

Shuji Hinuma (), Yugo Habata, Ryo Fujii, Yuji Kawamata, Masaki Hosoya, Shoji Fukusumi, Chieko Kitada, Yoshinori Masuo, Tsuneo Asano, Hirokazu Matsumoto, Masahiro Sekiguchi, Tsutomu Kurokawa, Osamu Nishimura, Haruo Onda and Masahiko Fujino
Additional contact information
Shuji Hinuma: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Yugo Habata: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Ryo Fujii: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Yuji Kawamata: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Masaki Hosoya: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Shoji Fukusumi: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Chieko Kitada: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Yoshinori Masuo: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Tsuneo Asano: Pharmaceutical Research Division
Hirokazu Matsumoto: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Masahiro Sekiguchi: Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd
Tsutomu Kurokawa: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Osamu Nishimura: Pharmaceutical Research Division
Haruo Onda: Discovery Research Laboratories I
Masahiko Fujino: Discovery Research Laboratories I

Nature, 1998, vol. 393, issue 6682, 272-276

Abstract: Abstract Hypothalamic peptide hormones regulate the secretion of most ofthe anterior pituitary hormones, that is, growth hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone and adrenocorticotropin1,2. These peptides do not regulate the secretion of prolactin1,2, at least in a specific manner, however. The peptides act through specific receptors, which are referred to as seven-transmembrane-domain receptors or G-protein-coupled receptors3,4,5,6,7. Although prolactin is important in pregnancy and lactation in mammals, and is involved in the development of the mammary glands and the promotion of milk synthesis8,9, a specific prolactin-releasing hormone has remained unknown. Here we identify a potent candidate for such a hormone. We first proposed that there may still be unknown peptide hormone factors that control pituitary function through seven-transmembrane-domain receptors. We isolated the complementary DNA encoding an ‘orphan’ receptor (that is, one for which the ligand is unknown). This receptor, hGR3, is specifically expressed in the human pituitary. We then searched for the hGR3 ligand in the hypothalamus and identified a new peptide, which shares no sequence similarity with known peptides and proteins, as an endogenous ligand. We show that this ligand is a potent prolactin-releasing factor for rat anterior pituitary cells; we have therefore named this peptide prolactin-releasing peptide.

Date: 1998
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DOI: 10.1038/30515

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