These results suggest that PRL, CYP17A1, and COMT may be relevant genetic loci for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and indicate a possible role for prolactin and estrogen in lymphoma pathogenesis.
The prolactin (PRL)-dependent rat Nb2 T lymphoma is a valuable model for investigation of molecular mechanisms that underlie tumor progression in hormone-dependent cancers. mRNA differential display was used to screen for novel gene products expressed in hormone-stimulated or differentiating agent-treated Nb2 sublines.
Finally, we identified the tyrosine kinase JAK2, which is constitutively associated with the PRLR, using the Nb2 rat lymphoma cell line as a model system with which to study the action of PRL on cell mitogenesis.
N-Terminal sequence analysis of the 25 kDa band demonstrated identity with PLP-C. A polyclonal antiserum to the fusion protein cross reacted with seven major proteins in rat placental culture media of which two were the native forms of PLP-C. Recombinant PLP-C was not mitogenic in the Nb2 lymphoma bioassay and did not exhibit high affinity binding to rat PRL receptor.