A novel and functional interaction between cyclophilin A and prolactin receptor

Precedent data have revealed that peptidyl isomerases can modulate the function of cell-surface receptors, but no such interactions have been previously shown for the members of the cytokine receptor superfamily. We demonstrate here that a functional interaction occurs between the prolactin receptor (PRLR) and peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase cyclophilin A (CypA). CypA was coimmunoprecipitated with the PRLR in vivo from the breast epithelial cell line T47D and Chinese hamster ovary transfectants overexpressing transfected human PRLR. In addition, in vitro binding assays demonstrated a direct interaction of CypA with the PRLR, in the presence or absence of cyclosporine. Coimmunoprecipitation studies also showed an association of CypA with Jak2. Functional analysis revealed that overexpression of CypA inhibited PRL-induced Rac activation, while simultaneously prolonging Jak2 phosphorylation. These proximal actions had profound downstream effects: CypA overexpression significantly enhanced the basal and PRL-stimulated expression from a beta-casein reporter construct. Hence, the interaction between CypA and the PRLR plays a differential regulatory role in the various signaling pathways leading from the PRLR.