Pit-1/GH factor-1 involvement in the gene expression of somatolactin

A presumed pituitary hormone, somatolactin (SL), belonging to the GH/PRL family, is produced in the intermediate lobe of teleost pituitary. The pituitary-specific transcription factor, Pit-1, is indispensable not only for the expression of mammalian GH and PRL genes, but for the development of GH- and PRL-producing cells present in the anterior lobe of the pituitary as well. Thus, in this study, examination was made of the possible involvement of Pit-1 in the intermediate lobe-specific expression of the SL gene. Using antibodies against chum salmon Pit-1, the presence of the 40-kilodalton Pit-1 protein in anterior and neurointermediate lobes of rainbow trout pituitary was demonstrated. By immunohistochemical examination, Pit-1 protein was shown to be located in the nuclei of SL-producing cells in the intermediate lobe. In experiments of cotransfection into HeLa cells, rat Pit-1 enhanced the promoter activity of SL gene, and a 0.5-kilobase upstream region from the transcriptional start site was sufficient for this enhancement. It follows from these results that Pit-1 protein may possibly be involved in SL gene expression as well as the development of SL-producing cells.