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Search for functional significance of peptidylarginine deiminase in rat pituitaries: variation during pregnancy and ultrastructural localization in prolactin cells
Author(s) -
Akiyama Kyoichi,
Nagata Saburo,
Tanaka Shigeyasu,
Inoue Kinji,
Watanabe Kazutada,
Senshu Tatsuo
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
cell biology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1095-8355
pISSN - 1065-6995
DOI - 10.1006/cbir.1993.1089
Subject(s) - prolactin , endocrinology , medicine , pregnancy , cytoplasm , immunoelectron microscopy , ultrastructure , messenger rna , gestation , enzyme , biology , estrogen , immunohistochemistry , hormone , biochemistry , gene , anatomy , genetics
We have studied the expression of peptidylarginine deiminase in rat pituitaries during pregnancy. Both the enzyme protein and its mRNA decreased to low levels after the onset of gestation. Both started to increase markedly during mid pregnancy reaching their maxima on day 18 and declined thereafter. The early phase of variations were accompanied with a progressive decrease in the pituitary prolactin content, an abrupt decrease in the prolactin mRNA content, and a small but significant increase in the serum estrogen. We also performed an immunoelectron microscopic study of the enzyme, and showed its scattered localization in the cytoplasm of prolactin cells.