Mechanisms Mediating the Control of Prolactin Secretion in the Teleost Fish

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Prolactin (PRL) is a hormone which is very important in the regulation of salt and water balance, and in reproduction and in the stimulation of mammary growth and function. The pituitary of bony fishes is an attractive system for studying prolactin (PRL) secretion. Unique among vertebrate animals, teleost PRL cells are segregated as a nearly homogeneous mass which is easily separated for study in isolation from other body systems. Also, these PRL cells can be maintained in their normal cell-cell associations for at least two weeks in culture dishes. These features facilitate the achievement of the goals of this project which are to characterize PRL secretory mechanisms using normal (i.e. not cancerous) tissues. Studies will be directed toward the examination of several peptide and steroid hormones that may be important regulators of PRL cell function. These factors will be used to continue the characterization of the mechanisms that control PRL cells. Companion studies will examine the manner in which the PRL cell responds to osmotic pressure. These studies will help to clarify how the secretion of the hormones that control salt and water balance is regulated.//