A Common Phenotype Polymorphism in Mammalian Brains Defined by Concomitant Production of Prolactin and Growth Hormone

PLoS One. 2016 Feb 19;11(2):e0149410. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149410. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Pituitary Prolactin (PRL) and Growth Hormone (GH) are separately controlled and sub-serve different purposes. Surprisingly, we demonstrate that extra-pituitary expression in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is coordinated at mRNA and protein levels. However this was not a uniform effect within populations, such that wide inter-individual variation was superimposed on coordinate PRL/GH expression. Up to 44% of individuals in healthy cohorts of mice and rats showed protein levels above the norm and coordinated expression of PRL and GH transcripts above baseline occurred in the amygdala, frontal lobe and hippocampus of 10% of human subjects. High levels of PRL and GH present in post mortem tissue were often presaged by altered responses in fear conditioning and stress induced hyperthermia behavioral tests. Our data define a common phenotype polymorphism in healthy mammalian brains, and, given the pleiotropic effects known for circulating PRL and GH, further consequences of coordinated CNS over-expression may await discovery.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Growth Hormone / biosynthesis*
  • Growth Hormone / blood
  • Growth Hormone / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Phenotype*
  • Prolactin / biosynthesis*
  • Prolactin / blood
  • Prolactin / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rats

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • Prolactin
  • Growth Hormone