CLONING OF DECIDUAL PROLACTIN FROM RHESUS MACAQUE

Rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) decidual prolactin cDNA was cloned and sequenced. The first 210 bp of the monkey sequence is not contiguous t o the human pituitary prolactin transcription initiation site. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern analysi s confirmed that this 5'-extended prolactin transcript is present in m onkey decidua but not in pituitary. Isolation and sequencing of a part ial genomic monkey prolactin clone verified the nucleotide changes fou nd in the rhesus cDNA. Comparison of the rhesus decidual prolactin cDN A to the human pituitary cDNA revealed more than 97% homology between the two. These data indicate that monkey prolactin mRNA from the decid ualized endometrium of pregnancy contains unique 5' sequence not prese nt in pituitary prolactin mRNA, suggesting the use of an alternative s tart site. Thus it is likely that the decidua uses promoter and regula tory regions different from those reported for pituitary prolactin.