Short form 1b human prolactin receptor down-regulates expression of the long form

Alternative splicing produces different human prolactin (PRL) receptors. These include a long form (LF) and two short forms (SF1a and SF1b). The SFs of the receptor can act as dominant negatives for PRL effector function through the LF. This is proposed to be due to LF-SF heterodimerization and resultant interference with LF-LF dimer signaling. We, along with others, have provided evidence for LF-SF heterodimerization of the human receptors in support of this mechanism, along with others. However, to further investigate the ways SF may influence LF function, we co-transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells with vectors coding for tagged (green fluorescent protein (GFP) or luciferase) LF alone or plus untagged SF1b and measured LF-GFP intensity, LF-luciferase activity, and LF mRNA 48 h later. Equal amounts of SF1b cDNA decreased LF-GFP fluorescence intensity, LF-luciferase activity, and LF mRNA by 80-100%. Similar co-transfections with untagged LF had no significant effect on tagged LF expression. Use of hygromycin showed degradation of already formed protein was the same for LF-luciferase alone and LF-luciferase with SF1b. Inhibition of mRNA synthesis, on the other hand, showed that SF1b expression accelerated LF mRNA degradation two- to three-fold. SF1b also down-regulated expression of endogenous LF mRNA in T47D breast cancer cells and opposed an increase in cell number resulting from transfection with extra LF alone. These results demonstrate a previously unrecognized mechanism whereby SF1b affects the end result of signaling through the LF receptor. The effects on cell number also support the concept that the LF:SF1b ratio may be relevant to tumor growth.