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Prolactin-stimulated polymerization of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in explants of mid-pregnant rat mammary gland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2001

JULIUS E. OBEN
Affiliation:
School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, P.O. Box 228, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK Present address: Medex Scientific UK Ltd, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1JE, UK.
RAYMOND R. DILS
Affiliation:
School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, P.O. Box 228, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK

Abstract

Prolactin significantly increased the rate of fatty acid synthesis in explants of mid-pregnant rat mammary gland cultured for 96 h with insulin plus corticosterone. Under these conditions, prolactin increased the specific activity of total acetyl-CoA carboxylase in nuclear-free homogenates of explants by 2·6, and increased the proportion of the enzyme in the active polymeric form from 0·44 to 0·89. Removal of prolactin after 48 h in culture decreased the specific activity of the total enzyme by about half, and decreased the proportion as polymer to 0·52. The results show that prolactin plays a major role in mid-pregnant rat mammary gland in the polymerization which accompanies increased activity of the total enzyme and increased rate of fatty acid synthesis.

Type
Original article
Copyright
Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2001

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