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Endocrinology Vol. 140, No. 9 3947-3954
Copyright © 1999 by The Endocrine Society


ARTICLES

Reduced Growth Hormone Receptor (GHR) Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in Liver of Periparturient Cattle Is Caused by a Specific Down-Regulation of GHR 1A That Is Associated with Decreased Insulin-Like Growth Factor I1

Y. Kobayashi, C. K. Boyd, C. J. Bracken, W. R. Lamberson, D. H. Keisler and M. C. Lucy

Department of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. M. C. Lucy, 164 Animal Sciences Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211. E-mail: lucym{at}missouri.edu


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
GH receptor (GHR) messenger RNA (mRNA) is transcribed from at least three different promoters within the liver of cattle. The first promoter (P1) is liver specific and alternatively splices exon 1A onto the GHR mRNA (GHR 1A mRNA). The second and third promoters (P2 and P3) have constitutive activity in many tissues and alternatively splice exons 1B and 1C onto the GHR mRNA (GHR 1B and GHR 1C mRNA). The total amount of GHR in the liver partially determines liver insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) synthesis in response to GH. Two studies were conducted to characterize the changes in GHR 1A mRNA, alternatively spliced GHR mRNA, and IGF-I mRNA during late pregnancy and early lactation in dairy cattle. Liver RNA was isolated from pregnant Holstein cattle (Bos taurus) on days -14, 0, and 21 relative to parturition (study 1) or days -14, 0, 15, 30, 60, and 90 relative to parturition (study 2). Ribonuclease protection assays were used to quantify total GHR (all GHR variants) as well as liver-specific GHR 1A and alternatively spliced GHR mRNA. Likewise, total IGF-I as well as alternatively spliced IGF-I mRNA (class 1 and class 2 transcripts) were measured. A decrease in total GHR mRNA at parturition (P < 0.01) was associated with a specific decrease in GHR 1A mRNA (P < 0.001). The amount of alternatively spliced GHR mRNA (including GHR 1B and GHR 1C mRNA) did not change at parturition (P > 0.10). Total liver IGF-I mRNA and blood IGF-I concentrations were also decreased at parturition (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). However, a decrease in IGF-I mRNA was observed for both class 1 and class 2 IGF-I transcripts (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). We conclude that the reduced amount of GHR mRNA during early lactation is caused by a specific down-regulation of GHR 1A mRNA that was associated with decreased liver IGF-I mRNA and decreased blood IGF-I concentrations. These data provide evidence for independent regulation of GHR mRNA by mechanisms that discriminate between GHR P1 (transcribes GHR 1A) and alternative promoters that transcribe constitutive GHR mRNA.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
MULTIPLE hormones, including GH, PRL, glucocorticoids, thyroid hormones, estrogen, and progesterone, control the initiation and maintenance of lactation (1). During early lactation, GH partitions nutrients for lactogenesis by increasing lipolysis and gluconeogenesis (2). The effects of GH are mediated by GH receptors (GHR) that belong to the cytokine-hematopoietin receptor superfamily (3). Signal transduction by the GHR activates GH-responsive genes, including insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) (4, 5), that direct a wide array of cellular functions (6).

Receptors for GH are found in many tissues; however, the greatest GHR concentrations are found within the liver (7, 8, 9). During early lactation, the liver is refractory to GH, such that blood IGF-I concentrations are diminished (10). The mechanisms that regulate changes in hepatic GH responsiveness and blood IGF-I during early lactation are not known. One possibility is that transcription of GHR messenger RNA (mRNA) changes within the liver during early lactation. The transcription of GHR mRNA is controlled by at least three discernible promoters that alternatively splice different exon 1 onto GHR mRNA (7, 8). The first promoter (GHR P1) is only active in liver, so that GHR mRNA transcripts from GHR P1 [GHR 1A (bovine and ovine), GHR1 (rat), GHR L1 (mouse), and GHR V1 (human)] are only found in liver (9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17). GHR 1A mRNA is different from other GHR mRNA because of its liver specificity and regulation by GH (13, 14). A second promoter (GHR P2) is ubiquitously expressed, with its transcripts [GHR 1B (bovine and ovine), GHR2 (rat), GHR L2 (mouse), and GHR V2 (human)] found in liver as well as nonhepatic tissues, including adipose tissue and muscle (9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19). A third promoter (GHR P3) was characterized in the bovine (20) and transcribes GHR 1C mRNA (analogous to rat GHR V4) (21). Within the bovine (b) GHR gene, GHR P3 is immediately downstream from GHR P2, and GHR P2 acts and an enhancer for GHR P3 (20). Therefore, GHR 1B and GHR 1C mRNA are found in similar tissues and are alike because both mRNA represent constitutive mRNA for the GHR (20). In each case (P1, P2, or P3 transcripts), the protein-coding region of the GHR is unchanged because the open reading frame for GHR begins in exon 2 (22). Alternative splicing of exon 1A, 1B, or 1C onto GHR mRNA (exons 2–10), therefore, leads to mRNA with alternative first exons (GHR 1A, 1B, or 1C) that translate a theoretically identical protein. The activities of GHR P1, P2, and P3 can be estimated by quantifying the amounts of GHR 1A, 1B, and 1C mRNA, respectively.

Changes in liver GHR may be caused by independent regulation of each of the GHR promoters. We examined this possibility by measuring the amount of liver GHR mRNA in dairy cattle as they transitioned from pregnancy to parturition and subsequent lactation. Changes in liver IGF-I mRNA and blood IGF-I concentrations during the same period were also measured. We report here that total GHR mRNA is diminished at parturition as the result of a diminished level of GHR 1A mRNA, but not alternative GHR mRNA. The loss of GHR 1A mRNA at parturition was associated with decreased IGF-I mRNA and decreased blood IGF-I. These data support the hypothesis that GHR P1 (transcribing GHR 1A) is regulated independently from alternative GHR promoters that transcribe constitutive GHR mRNA in the liver. Changes in total GHR mRNA caused by GHR P1 may contribute to decreased blood IGF-I concentrations during early lactation.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Animals
Nulliparous Holstein heifers (Bos taurus) were maintained in an open pasture at the University of Missouri-Columbia dairy farm and fed a total mixed ration once daily to meet or exceed their nutrient requirements until parturition (23). After parturition, cows were maintained in a free-stall barn, where they were milked and fed twice daily. Experimental procedures were approved by the University of Missouri-Columbia animal care and use committee.

Collection of liver tissue
Liver samples were collected by needle biopsy (24). In study 1, samples were collected from cows (n = 5) 14 days before expected parturition (day -14), at parturition (day 0), and 21 days postpartum. For study 2, samples were collected from cows (n = 6) at -14, 0, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days postpartum. To collect the samples, a region on the right rib cage at the 11th intercostal space (~225 cm2 in size) was clipped and cleansed with disinfectant (Nolvasan solution, Fort Dodge Laboratory, Inc., Fort Dodge, IA) and 70% ethanol. Local anesthesia (5 ml 2% lidocane hydrochloride solution) was then administered sc at the site of incision, and a scalpel blade was used to penetrate the skin. Liver samples were collected with a custom-made biopsy needle (16.5 cm length, 4 mm inside diameter; study 1) or a commercially available 14-gauge biopsy needle (15.2-cm length; Tru-Cut biopsy needle, Baxter Healthcare Corp., Deerfield, IL; study 2). Liver samples were placed in screw-cap microcentrifuge tubes and frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately after collection, then transported to the laboratory. Samples were stored at -80 C until RNA extraction.

Blood sample collection
Blood samples were collected beginning at first biopsy (day -14; study 1) or at weekly intervals (study 2) thereafter via coccygeal venipuncture. Samples (20 ml) were collected into evacuated glass tubes containing EDTA (Vacutainer, Becton Dickinson and Co., Franklin Lake, UT) and placed on ice immediately. Plasma was harvested by centrifugation (3000 x g; 15 min) and stored at -20 C until assay.

RNA isolation
Total cellular RNA was isolated from each liver sample using the Trizol procedure (Life Technologies, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD; study 1) or using the RNeasy Mini kit (QIAGEN, Valencia, CA; study 2). After isolation, RNA was dissolved in sterile water treated with 0.1% (vol/vol) diethylpyrocarbonate. Concentrations of RNA were determined by measuring absorbance at 260 nm. The purity of the RNA was determined by calculating the ratio of absorbencies at 260 and 280 nm and by electrophoresis of a RNA aliquot (2.5 µg) from each sample through a 1% agarose gel in Tris-borate/EDTA buffer (0.089 M Tris-borate and 0.002 M EDTA) with ethidium bromide (0.5 µg/ml). Samples with intact 28S and 18S ribosomal RNA were used for subsequent analyses. Isolated RNA was stored at -80 C until analysis by ribonuclease protection assay (RPA).

Complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis and cloning
The cDNA for analysis of total IGF-I mRNA (IGF-Itot; Fig. 1Go and Table 1Go) was amplified by RT-PCR. The oligonucleotide primers for the RT-PCR (forward, 5'-CTCCTCGCATCTCTTCTATCT-3'; reverse, 5'-CTCATCCACGATTCCTGTCT-3') were designed from the ovine IGF-I cDNA sequence (25) that was identical to the bovine (GenBank accession no. X15726). The 200-bp PCR fragment contained the majority of exon 3 (137 bp) and part of exon 4 (63 bp) of the IGF-I gene. The RT mixture contained 5 µg bovine liver RNA, 5 µl 5 x RT buffer, 25 nM deoxy-NTPs, 24 U ribonuclease inhibitor (RNasin, Promega Corp., Madison, WI), 15 U AMV reverse transcriptase (Promega Corp.), and 12.1 pM reverse primer. The mixture was heated at 65 C for 5 min, and RT was carried out at 42 C for 60 min. The mixture then was heated at 65 C for 5 min and placed on ice immediately thereafter. Five microliters of the RT mixture, 18 µl sterile water, 16 pM forward primer, and 12.1 pM reverse primer were added to a commercially available PCR bead (Ready-To-Go PCR Beads, Pharmacia Biotech, Piscataway, NJ). The thermal cycler program was 35 cycles at 94 C for 45 sec, 58 C for 45 sec, and 72 C for 60 sec. An aliquot of the reaction and an appropriately sized DNA marker were electrophoresed on a 1% agarose gel in Tris-borate/EDTA buffer with ethidium bromide to verify the size of the product. The PCR product was subcloned into pGEM-T Easy (Promega Corp.), and the DNA insert was sequenced by automated DNA sequencing to verify the identity and orientation.



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Figure 1. Diagram of riboprobes and corresponding mRNA in the GHR and IGF-I RPA. The two primary GHR mRNA transcripts (GHR 1A and GHR 1B) are represented as mRNA with 10 exons (boxes). A third GHR mRNA (GHR 1n) represents additional GHR exon 1 mRNA variants (includes GHR 1C). The two IGF-I mRNA transcripts (class 1 and class 2) are represented as mRNA with 5 exons (boxes). Exon 10 of the GHR mRNA (~3 kb) is not drawn to scale. The protected fragments generated by GHR or IGF-I transcripts are denoted as thick solid lines with the corresponding number of bases. The riboprobes (GHRtot, GHR1A/2/3, GHR1B/2/3, IGF-Itot, and IGF-I2/3/4) are presented in italics to the left of the protected fragments. GHR 1A, GHR 1B, and GHR 1n mRNA protect a 460-bp fragment in the GHRtot assay. GHR 1A mRNA protects a 312-bp fragment in the GHR 1A assay and a 121-bp fragment (GHR{Delta}E1B) in the GHR 1B assay. GHR 1B mRNA protects a 249-bp fragment in the GHR 1B assay and a 121-bp fragment (GHR{Delta}E1A) in the GHR 1A assay. GHR 1n mRNA protects a 121-bp fragment (GHR{Delta}E1A) in the GHR 1A assay and a 121-bp fragment (GHR{Delta}E1B) in the GHR 1B assay. The 121-bp protected fragment (GHR{Delta}E1A or GHR{Delta}E1B) from GHR 1A, GHR 1B, or GHR 1n arises from the protection of exons 2–3 for GHR with alternative exon 1. Class 1 and class 2 IGF-I mRNA protect a 200-bp fragment in the IGF-Itot assay. Class 2 IGF-I mRNA protects a 314-bp fragment in the IGF-I2/3/4 assay. Class 1 IGF-I mRNA protects a 223-bp fragment in the IGF-I2/3/4 assay because exons 3 and 4 of the class 1 IGF-I mRNA hybridize with exons 3 and 4 of the IGF-I2/3/4 probe. The 223-bp protected fragment is denoted as IGF-I(C1) because class 1 IGF-I mRNA transcripts were deduced from the exon 3–4 signal.

 

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Table 1. Description of riboprobes and interpretation of protected fragments for ribonuclease protection assays of GHR and IGF-I mRNA

 
A second IGF-I cDNA (314 bp), which included a leader exon that contained signal peptide sequences, was also produced. The cDNA contained exon 2 [91 bp (26), also described as exon 1A (24)], exon 3 (160 bp), and exon 4 (63 bp; IGF-I2/3/4). Exons 3 and 4 contain the coding region for the mature IGF-I protein and are identical among different IGF-I transcripts (Fig. 1Go). The probe allowed the simultaneous measurement of class 2 IGF-I mRNA that contained exons 2–4 (IGF-IC2; 314-bp protected fragment) as well as class 1 IGF-I transcripts that contained exons 1, 3, and 4 [IGF-I(C1), detected as an exon 3–4 protected fragment (223 bp) in the IGF-IC2 RPA; the (C1) is inparentheses because the class 1 IGF-I mRNA is deduced from the exon 3–4 fragment]. The forward oligonucleotide primer (5'-GTCCTCAGTTTTCTATTCAC-3') was designed from the ovine IGF-I genomic DNA sequence from GenBank (accession no. X69472). The reverse primer was identical to the reverse primer used for the 200-bp IGF-I fragment. The RT-PCR was performed as described above. The amount of reverse primer used for the RT reaction was 12.1 pM, and 16 pM forward primer and 12.1 pM reverse primer were used for the PCR. The RT-PCR product was subcloned into pGEM-T Easy (Promega Corp.), and the DNA insert was sequenced by automated DNA sequencing to verify the identity and orientation.

The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) cDNA (91 bp) was also produced by RT-PCR using procedures similar to those described for the IGF-I cDNA. The cDNA sequence for bGAPDH was obtained from GenBank (Accession no. U85042). The primers (forward, 5'-ACACTGAGGACCAGGTTG-3'; reverse, 5'-TGGTCGTTGAGGGC-AATG-3') then were designed to amplify between bases 791–881 of the bGAPDH gene. The amount of reverse primer used for the RT reaction was 12.4 pM, and for the PCR, 16.6 pM forward primer and 12.4 pM reverse primer were used. The RT-PCR product was subcloned into pGEM-T Easy (Promega Corp.), and the DNA insert was sequenced by automated DNA sequencing to verify the identity and orientation. Ultimately, the cDNA insert was further subcloned into the EcoRI site of pGEM-3Z (Promega Corp.).

Three other plasmids used in these studies were described previously (9, 27). The total amount of GHR mRNA (GHRtot; Fig. 1Go) was measured using a GHR riboprobe antisense for exons 5–8 from the bGHR cDNA (27). Additional GHR plasmids containing exons 1A, 2, and 3 (GHR1A/2/3) or exons 1B, 2, and 3 (GHR1B/2/3) were used to synthesize a riboprobe for GHR 1A and GHR 1B mRNA, respectively. Production of the GHR 1A and GHR 1B plasmids was described previously (9). Exons 2 and 3 proved identical for GHR mRNA that contain different exon 1. Therefore, each RPA (GHR 1A and GHR 1B) produced a full-length protected fragment as well as a truncated fragment (121 bp, exons 2–3). The truncated fragment (exons 2–3) represented GHR mRNA that did not contain exon 1 of the respective riboprobe. For the purpose of this paper, the exon 2–3 fragments from the GHR 1A and GHR 1B RPA were designated GHR{Delta}E1A and GHR{Delta}E1B, respectively.

Production of antisense riboprobe
Antisense ribonucleotide probes were produced as previously described (9). Each plasmid was linearized with an appropriate restriction enzyme and purified by phenol-chloroform extraction. Riboprobes were synthesized with the appropriate RNA polymerases using a RNA transcription kit (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA). Transcription was allowed to proceed at 37 C for 90 min. Plasmid templates were digested after transcription by using RQ1 deoxyribonuclease (Promega Corp.). Riboprobes were purified after phenol-chloroform extraction, and free [{alpha}-32P]CTP was then removed by Quick Spin (TE) Sephadex G-50 columns (Roche Molecular Biochemicals, Indianapolis, IN). The specific activities of the purified riboprobes were determined by liquid scintillation counting. Riboprobes were stored at -80 C until use.

RPAs
The RPAs were performed as described previously (9) using a commercially available kit (RPA II, Ambion, Inc., Austin, TX) with modifications. Twenty micrograms of total cellular RNA were assayed in study 1. For study 2, 2.5 µg total cellular RNA were assayed, and 15 µg yeast RNA were added to increase the visibility of the pellet. Protected RNA fragments were identified by gel electrophoresis in a 6% acrylamide-7 M urea gel (Acryl-a-Mix 6, Promega Corp.). Electrophoresis was performed at 200 V for 2 h. Gels were dried on a gel drier at 80 C for 1 h. Autoradiography was performed using X-Omat-AR film (Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY) at -80 C for 18 h (GHR) or 7 days (IGF-I) in study 1. In study 2, autoradiography was performed at -80 C for 2 days (GHR) or 7 days (IGF-I). Protected fragments were identified based on size by comparing them to the undigested riboprobes as well as to a radiolabeled 100-bp DNA ladder. Expression of the mRNA was quantified by measuring pixel density (arbitrary units) of protected fragments using GP Tools 3.01 (Biophotonics Corp., Ann Arbor, MI).

Plasma concentrations of GH, IGF-I, and nonesterified fatty acids
Plasma concentrations of IGF-I were measured in a single RIA (28). The specific activity of the [125I]bIGF-I was 177 µCi/µg, and the assay sensitivity was 9.8 pg/tube. The intraassay coefficient of variation (CV) was 11.9%. Plasma GH concentrations were also measured in a single RIA. The RIA procedures described by Matteri et al. (29) were modified and validated for bGH. Bovine plasma (100 µl) was incubated with 300 µl primary antibody [AFP 11182B monkey anti-GH antibody, gift from the National Hormone and Pituitary Program (A. F. Parlow, Scientific Director), final dilution, 1:500,000], 50 µl [125I]bGH (66 µCi/µg; ~20,000 cpm/tube), and 300 µl PBS plus 0.1% gelatin (PBSG; pH 7.0) in glass tubes. The nonspecific binding tubes contained 400 µl PBSG, 50 µl [125I]bGH, and 300 µl 10% (vol/vol) bovine plasma. The zero binding tubes contained 400 µl PBSG, 50 µl [125I]bGH, and 300 µl primary antibody. The standard curve contained 300 µl PBSG with 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, or 10 ng/tube of recombinant bGH (Monsanto Co., St. Louis, MO), 50 µl [125I]bGH, and 300 µl primary antibody. All tubes were incubated for 20 h at 4 C. Secondary antibody (goat antimonkey IgG; Antibodies, Inc., Davis, CA) was diluted to 1:20 in PBSG and 0.01% (wt/vol) sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate (thimerosal, Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) and 2.6% (vol/vol) normal monkey serum. One hundred microliters of secondary antibody and 1 ml 10% polyethylene glycol (Carbowax PEG 8000, Fisher Scientific, Fairlawn, NJ) were added to tubes after the incubation (final volume, 1.85 ml). Tubes were vortexed for 1 min, incubated at room temperature for 1 h, and centrifuged at 3000 x g at 4 C for 30 min. Supernatants were discarded, and pellets were counted for 1 min. Increasing amounts of bovine plasma (50, 100, or 200 µl in triplicate) produced a displacement curve that was parallel to the standard curve. The addition of 5, 10, or 20 ng bGH to 100 µl bovine plasma sample (~10 ng/ml) yielded an average recovery of 80.6%. The intraassay CV for the GH RIA was 12.2%, and the sensitivity of the assay was 50 pg/tube.

Plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations were measured in plasma samples collected on the day of biopsy (study 2). The assay was performed as described previously (30) using a commercially available kit (NEFA C, Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., Osaka, Japan). Intra- and interassay CVs were 6.9% and 5.1%, respectively.

Statistical analyses
The GAPDH control was used within each RPA. There was no effect of day postpartum (P > 0.10) on GAPDH mRNA in any of the analyses. Therefore, the pixel densities for the protected mRNA fragments were divided by the pixel densities of the internal GAPDH control to adjust for minor differences in mRNA precipitation and loading. The adjusted mRNA pixel densities (arbitrary units) as well as plasma concentrations of GH, IGF-I, and NEFA were analyzed by least squares ANOVA using the General Linear Model Procedure of SAS (31). The independent variables in the model were day postpartum and cow. The effect of day postpartum was tested using the cow by day interaction. Means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test from SAS (31). The data are presented as the least squares mean ± SEM.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Study 1
The amounts of GHRtot, GHR 1A, GHR{Delta}E1A, GHR 1B, GHR{Delta}E1B, IGF-Itot, IGF-IC2, and IGF-I(C1) were quantified in liver samples collected from dairy cattle on days -14, 0, and 21 relative to parturition (day 0 = parturition; Fig. 2Go). There was an effect of day on the amount of GHRtot mRNA (P < 0.01). The amount of GHRtot mRNA was lowest on day 0 and greatest on days -14 and 21 postpartum (Fig. 2BGo). A similar response profile was observed for the amount of GHR 1A mRNA (P < 0.001). In contrast, the amount of GHR{Delta}E1A mRNA (exon 2–3 transcripts in the GHR 1A RPA) did not differ across the days of study (P > 0.10). This suggested that GHR transcripts that do not contain exon 1A do not change during the periparturient period. To examine this possibility, GHR 1B mRNA was analyzed because GHR 1B is the primary alternative to GHR 1A mRNA (9). The amount of GHR 1B mRNA did not change during the periparturient period (P > 0.10), whereas the amount of GHR{Delta}E1B (exon 2–3 transcripts in the GHR 1B RPA) changed in parallel to that of GHR 1A mRNA (i.e. decreased expression on day 0; P < 0.01). This was expected because GHR 1A mRNA is the primary alternative to GHR 1B, and the GHR{Delta}E1B fragment should reflect the amount of GHR 1A mRNA.



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Figure 2. A, Autoradiographs of GHR, IGF-I, and GAPDH RPA for liver RNA isolated from individual cows at 14 days before expected parturition (day -14), at parturition (day 0), and 21 days postpartum (day 21; study 1). Protected fragments corresponding to GHRtot, GHR 1A, GHR{Delta}E1A, GHR 1B, GHR{Delta}E1B, IGF-Itot, IGF-IC2, IGF-I(C1), and GAPDH (control) are marked (see Table 1Go for description of protected fragments). Negative control (yeast RNA) is denoted (-). B and C, Least square means and SEM for pixel densities of mRNA signal after adjusting for GAPDH mRNA. Within a mRNA, bars with different letters differ at P < 0.05. The GHRtot, GHR 1A, GHR{Delta}E1B, and IGF-I mRNA decreased at parturition (day 0), whereas GHR{Delta}E1A (non-GHR 1A transcripts) or GHR 1B did not decrease on day 0. D, Plasma concentrations of IGF-I. Means with different letters differ at P < 0.05. The decreases in GHR and IGF-I mRNA on day 0 (B and C) were associated with a decrease in plasma IGF-I concentrations on day 0 (D).

 
There was an effect of day on each of the IGF-I mRNA (Fig. 2CGo; IGF-Itot, P < 0.05; IGF-IC2, P < 0.05; IGF-I(C1), P < 0.01). The amount of IGF-I mRNA [IGF-Itot, IGF-IC2, or IGF-I(C1)] changed in parallel to that of GHRtot and GHR 1A mRNA. In general, the IGF-I mRNA decreased on day 0 and then increased to a level similar to that on day -14 by day 21 postpartum. Plasma concentrations of IGF-I changed in parallel to liver GHR 1A and IGF-I mRNA (P < 0.01; decreased at parturition with subsequent increase at day 21; Fig. 2DGo).

Study 2
There was an effect of day postpartum (P < 0.001) on the amount of GHR 1A mRNA because the amount of GHR 1A mRNA present on day 0 was less than that observed on days -14 or 15 relative to that on parturition (Fig. 3Go, A and C). After day 15 postpartum, the amount of GHR 1A mRNA did not differ across days. The amount of IGF-Itot mRNA paralleled the changes observed for GHR 1A mRNA, because IGF-Itot mRNA was lowest on day 0 (P < 0.05) relative to levels assessed on days -14 and 15 (Fig. 3Go, B and C). After day 15 postpartum, IGF-Itot mRNA did not differ across days.



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Figure 3. Autoradiographs of RPA for GHR 1A (A) and IGF-I (B) for liver RNA isolated from individual cows on days -14, 0, 15, 30, 60, and 90 relative to parturition (study 2). Two of six cows that were analyzed are shown in these representative autoradiographs. Protected fragments corresponding to GHR 1A, GHR{Delta}E1A, IGF-I, and GAPDH (control) are marked (see Table 1Go for description of protected fragments). Negative control (yeast RNA) is denoted (-). *, Undigested GAPDH probe that is seen after the prolonged exposures needed for IGF-I mRNA. MKR, DNA marker; 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 bp from bottom. C, Least square means and SEM for pixel densities of mRNA signal after adjusting for GAPDH mRNA. There was a decrease in GHR 1A and IGF-I mRNA on day 0 (parturition; *, P < 0.05 vs. other days postpartum). The GHR{Delta}E1A mRNA did not change on day 0.

 
There was an effect of day postpartum on plasma concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids (P < 0.01). Plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations increased on day 0 and then steadily declined to below prepartum concentrations by 60 days postpartum (Fig. 4AGo). An effect of day postpartum was also detected for plasma concentrations of GH (P < 0.001) and IGF-I (P < 0.001). The plasma GH concentration increased on day 0 and peaked on day 15 postpartum (Fig. 4BGo). Subsequently, the GH concentration decreased until day 30 postpartum and remained unchanged thereafter. Plasma concentrations of IGF-I were opposite those of plasma nonesterified fatty acids and GH. The IGF-I concentrations decreased on day 0 and subsequently increased throughout the postpartum period, reaching prepartum concentrations by 77 days postpartum (Fig. 4CGo). Changes in plasma IGF-I concentrations paralleled the temporal relationship observed for GHR 1A and IGF-Itot mRNA.



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Figure 4. Least square means and SEM for plasma concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA; A), GH (B), and IGF-I (C) in dairy cattle during the periparturient period (study 2). There was an increase in plasma concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and GH, but a decrease in IGF-I around parturition (day 0). The greatest nonesterified fatty acids and GH concentrations were inversely associated with plasma IGF-I concentrations. *, P < 0.05 vs. prepartum concentrations.

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Alternative splicing of the GHR mRNA leads to several GHR mRNA variants. In mouse and rat, for example, the 3'-end of the GHR mRNA is alternatively spliced to create a GH-binding protein (7). Alternative splicing also occurs at the 5'-end of the GHR mRNA, so that different exons 1 are spliced onto exons 2–10 of the GHR mRNA (22). The alternative exon 1 splicing occurs in a variety of species, including rats (14, 15, 21), mice (16), sheep (11, 13, 18), cattle (9, 19, 20), and humans (12, 17, 22). The existence of alternative exon 1 in the GHR mRNA indicates that expression of GHR mRNA is controlled by more than one promoter (22). The first GHR promoter (GHR P1) is liver specific, inducible, and controls the expression of GHR 1A in the bovine and ovine, GHR1 in the rat, GHR L1 in the mouse, and GHR V1 in the human. The second promoter (GHR P2) is constitutive, active in a variety of tissues, and controls the expression of GHR 1B in the bovine and ovine, GHR2 in the rat, GHR L2 in the mouse, and GHR V2 in the human. A third promoter (GHR P3) that is similar to GHR P2 and controls the expression of GHR 1C has recently been characterized in the bovine (20).

The present studies show that the decrease in liver GHR mRNA at parturition was caused by a decrease in GHR 1A mRNA (Figs. 2Go and 3Go). During the parturition-induced decline in GHR, the amount of non-GHR 1A mRNA (GHR 1B or GHR{Delta}E1A) remained unchanged and was not associated with the changes in the amount of total GHR mRNA in liver. We suggest that changes in the amount of liver GHR mRNA are primarily determined by the expression of GHR 1A mRNA during this period. These data provide evidence that the liver-specific GHR P1 is responding to physiological changes in periparturient cattle. The activity of GHR P1 was independent from that of other promoters (i.e. GHR P2 or GHR P3) that control constitutive liver GHR mRNA expression because we did not detect a decrease in either GHR 1B or GHR{Delta}E1A during the period of decreased GHR 1A mRNA. The relationship between the amounts of GHR P1 activity and GHR 1A mRNA assumes that the stability of GHR 1A mRNA is unchanged in periparturient cow liver. We know of no evidence to suggest altered stability of GHR 1A mRNA relative to that of other GHR mRNA. Nevertheless, the relative stabilities of GHR 1A, 1B, and 1C mRNA should be tested in controlled experiments.

The paradigm that we observed for GHR regulation agrees with previous studies of GHR mRNA in rats, where liver-specific GHR1 mRNA was regulated independently from other GHR transcripts (14, 15). Indeed, GHR1 mRNA was shown to be sexually dimorphic and developmentally regulated (14, 15). The observations made during the present study support the concept of independent regulation of GHR mRNA by at least two promoters. Furthermore, our observations extend the physiological evidence for GHR promoter regulation to postpartum animals.

A decrease in GHR1 after parturition was also observed in the postpartum rat (14). Some aspects of GHR1 and GHR 1A mRNA regulation in rat and cattle, however, were different, because GHR 1A increased to a prepartum level by day 15 postpartum. GHR1 was increased by pregnancy in the rat and did not achieve expression equivalent to that in prepartum (pregnant) animals during the postpartum period (14). The increase in GHR 1A mRNA in the postpartum bovine reflects a slightly different paradigm for GHR 1A. In the ovine, GHR 1A expression is initiated in fetal liver during late gestation (11, 32), and an adult level of GHR 1A expression in the bovine and ovine neonate occurs shortly after birth (11, 32, 33). GHR1 in the rat is also developmentally regulated (increased expression with the shift toward the female pattern of GH secretion in the rat), but the greatest increase in GHR1 occurs in pregnant animals (14). Therefore, the failure of GHR1 to achieve prepartum levels in the postpartum rat probably reflects the strong influence of pregnancy on GHR1 expression. The effects of pregnancy on bovine GHR 1A have not been tested, but our observation that nonpregnant postpartum cattle have similar GHR 1A mRNA expression as prepartum pregnant cattle (day -14) suggests that pregnancy does not strongly up-regulate GHR 1A in the bovine.

The transcription of IGF-I mRNA is also controlled by at least two different promoters (6, 26, 34, 35, 36). The activity of IGF-I promoters leads to the alternative splicing of different leader exons onto exon 3, where the coding for fully processed IGF-I begins (6, 26). The amount of IGF-I mRNA was lowest at parturition, and class 1 and class 2 IGF-I mRNA were equally down-regulated. Therefore, unlike GHR mRNA, the IGF-I mRNA were temporally regulated in periparturient cows. The mechanisms that control IGF-I mRNA within this experimental model, therefore, were conserved across both IGF-I promoters that regulate IGF-I synthesis and secretion. This may suggest that DNA sequences that are common to both IGF-I promoters ultimately determine IGF-I mRNA expression. In sheep, both class 1 and class 2 IGF-I mRNA declined in response to undernutrition, but class 2 IGF-I mRNA was more sensitive to decreased nutrient levels than class 1 IGF-I mRNA (26). In the present study, however, we did not observe significant differences in the relative changes in class 1 and class 2 IGF-I mRNA expression. The mechanisms for control of IGF-I mRNA expression in periparturient cattle, therefore, may not be the same as those in animals undergoing acute nutritional deprivation (26).

The decrease in liver IGF-I on day 0 may have been caused by a decline in GHR mRNA that led to a loss of GHR protein that precluded GH-dependent IGF-I synthesis (5). If true, the decrease in liver IGF-I mRNA should have occurred after the reduction in GHR mRNA. This possibility will need to be examined in future experiments in which a greater number of time points are sampled. It will also be necessary to measure GHR protein and correlate GHR 1A mRNA with GH binding to liver tissue, because the rate of translation of GHR 1A relative to that of other GHR variants has not been tested. A second possibility is that GHR 1A and IGF-I mRNA are decreased in a synchronized manner through a common pathway or through two independent pathways acting at the same time. Expression of liver-specific genes, including GHR and IGF-I, is regulated by several transcription factors, such as hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 (HNF-1), -3, -4, and -6 as well as CAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBP) (37, 38). The 5'-untranslated region of the IGF-I gene contains binding sites for HNF-1, HNF-3, and C/EBP (6), and the IGF-I promoter was activated in vitro by cotransfection of HNF-1{alpha} (36) or C/EBP (35) expression plasmids with an IGF-I promoter/reporter construct. The activity of GHR P1 may also be regulated by liver-specific transcription factors, because GHR P1 contains binding sites for HNF and C/EBP (13). Therefore, the GHR 1A and IGF-I promoters may be controlled by a common pathway that ultimately coordinates their expression in liver.

The nutritional and physiological mechanisms that cause the specific down-regulation of GHR 1A at calving are unknown. During the periparturient period, cows undergo metabolic changes to accommodate the nutrient demands for lactation (1, 2). There is a transient period of lipid mobilization (measured as increased plasma concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids) that is associated with negative energy balance in postpartum cows (1, 2). The nutritional constraints during this period were associated with the specific loss of GHR 1A and suggest that nutritional effects on the GHR within liver (39) may be acting directly on GHR P1. It is also possible that insulin or glucocorticoids are mediating the responses that we observed. Insulin concentrations in blood are low during early lactation (40), and in diabetic models, IGF-I as well as GHR mRNA expressions were dependent on insulin (6, 38, 41, 42). Glucocorticoids initiate parturition as well as lactation and begin the process of nutrient partitioning in lactating animals (1). In general, glucocorticoids decrease the ability of GH to increase IGF-I release (43, 44). The effects of glucocorticoids on GHR mRNA in ruminants, however, were stimulatory, particularly in the fetal liver during late gestation (45, 46).

In summary, the loss of GHR mRNA at parturition was associated with a reduction in the amount of GHR 1A mRNA. The amount of alternative GHR mRNA was unchanged and was not associated with changes in total GHR mRNA during this period. The amount of IGF-I mRNA also decreased at parturition. The decrease in IGF-I mRNA was caused by a reduced amount of both class 1 and class 2 IGF-I mRNA. Unlike IGF-I mRNA, the regulation of total GHR mRNA depended on the independent control of two distinct GHR mRNA. The constitutive GHR (i.e. GHR 1B) did not undergo a decline at parturition. The inducible GHR (GHR 1A) underwent a dramatic decrease that was associated with a decrease in total GHR mRNA as well as a decrease in liver IGF-I mRNA and plasma IGF-I concentrations. These data support the concept of independent regulation of GHR mRNA by GHR P1 (transcribes GHR 1A) and other constitutive GHR promoters (GHR P2 and GHR P3). The mechanisms through which each promoter is controlled will require additional investigation.


    Footnotes
 
1 This work was supported by the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, USDA CSREES 95–37205-2312 (to M.C.L.). Back

Received December 31, 1998.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

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