PRL (Prolactin) Gene
Prolactin: A key hormone in lactation, reproduction, and immune modulation
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | PRL |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Prolactin |
| Gene Type | protein-coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 6p22.3 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 5617 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/5617 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000172179 |
| UniProt ID | P01236 |
| OMIM ID | 176760 |
| HGNC ID | 9345 |
| Aliases | hPRL, PRL-1, GHA1 |
Description
The PRL gene encodes prolactin, a peptide hormone primarily synthesized and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. Prolactin plays essential roles in lactation, reproductive function, osmoregulation, and immune modulation. It acts through the prolactin receptor (PRLR) to regulate gene expression and cellular signaling.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Hyperprolactinemia | Elevated serum prolactin due to PRL gene overexpression or pituitary adenoma | ClinVar, OMIM |
| Prolactinoma | Benign pituitary tumor secreting excess prolactin; often associated with PRL gene amplification or somatic mutations | OMIM, COSMIC |
| Infertility (female) | Disruption of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis by hyperprolactinemia | ClinVar |
| Galactorrhea | Non-puerperal milk secretion due to elevated prolactin levels | OMIM |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Pituitary Gland | >1000 | High |
| Placenta | ~50 | Medium |
| Breast | ~20 | Low |
| Endometrium | ~10 | Low |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MCF-7 (breast cancer) | ~30 | PRL expression detected |
| HeLa (cervical cancer) | ~5 | Low expression |
| HepG2 (liver cancer) | ~2 | Very low |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.211C>T (p.Arg71Trp) | Missense | <0.01% | Reduced receptor binding affinity |
| c.68G>A (p.Arg23Gln) | Missense | <0.01% | Altered secretion |
| c.344G>A (p.Arg115His) | Missense | <0.01% | Unknown functional effect |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Rare missense variants (e.g., p.Arg71Trp) reduce prolactin receptor binding and signaling.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Not well documented; somatic mutations in prolactinomas may increase secretion.
Dominant Negative (DN)
No dominant-negative mutations reported.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • hormone activity | • prolactin receptor binding |
| • extracellular space | • positive regulation of lactation |
| • positive regulation of cell proliferation |
Pathways
• Prolactin signaling pathway (KEGG hsa04917)
• Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction (KEGG hsa04080)
Protein Summary
Prolactin is a 199-amino-acid single-chain polypeptide hormone with a four-helix bundle structure. It is synthesized as a preprohormone and cleaved to the mature form. Prolactin binds to the prolactin receptor (PRLR) to activate JAK2/STAT5, MAPK, and PI3K/Akt pathways, promoting milk protein synthesis, cell growth, and differentiation.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRL Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ522 | Human | 5617 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLR Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ523 | Human | 5618 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLHR Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ4777 | Human | 2834 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLH Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ10889 | Human | 51052 | Details Get a Quote |
| Prlr Knockout HT22 Cell Line | EDJ-KZ415 | Mouse | 19116 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLHR Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ53389 | Human | 2834 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRL Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ54218 | Human | 5617 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLR Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ54219 | Human | 5618 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLH Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ56220 | Human | 51052 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLHR Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ61867 | Human | 2834 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRL Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ62712 | Human | 5617 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLR Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ62713 | Human | 5618 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLH Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ64711 | Human | 51052 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRLHR Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ70349 | Human | 2834 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRL Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ71184 | Human | 5617 | Details Get a Quote |
