Qasba P K, Hewlett I K, Byers S
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1983 Nov 30;117(1):306-12. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(83)91576-0.
alpha-Lactalbumin, a modifier protein that changes the substrate specificity of galactosyltransferase, to promote the synthesis of lactose, is found in the mammary glands of lactating mammals and in milk. Molecules similar to mammary gland alpha-lactalbumin but distinct in their modifier activity have been found in rat epididymal fluid. We report here, using a rat mammary gland alpha-lactalbumin cDNA clone as a hybridization probe, RNA sequences homologous to alpha-lactalbumin mRNA were detected in total RNA from the rat epididymis. This finding suggests that alpha-lactalbumin or similar molecules, in addition to regulating lactose synthesis in the mammary gland, may have other important functions in mammalian reproduction.
α-乳白蛋白是一种修饰蛋白，可改变半乳糖基转移酶的底物特异性以促进乳糖的合成，存在于泌乳哺乳动物的乳腺和乳汁中。在大鼠附睾液中发现了与乳腺α-乳白蛋白相似但修饰活性不同的分子。我们在此报告，使用大鼠乳腺α-乳白蛋白cDNA克隆作为杂交探针，在大鼠附睾的总RNA中检测到了与α-乳白蛋白mRNA同源的RNA序列。这一发现表明，α-乳白蛋白或类似分子除了调节乳腺中的乳糖合成外，可能在哺乳动物繁殖中还具有其他重要功能。
