ArticleBMC biology2008
Lack of functional alpha-lactalbumin prevents involution in Cape fur seals and identifies the protein as an apoptotic milk factor in mammary gland involution.
Article in BMC biology, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- ELF5-Mediated Enhancer-Promoter Interaction Regulates LALBA Expression in Ovine Mammary Gland.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Imaging and Diagnostic Tools for Cetacean Mammary Gland Assessment: Challenges and Future Directions for Marine Mammal Pathology, Medicine and Research.Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia · 2025Review
- Mammalian Species-Specific Resistance to Mammary Cancer.Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia · 2025Review
- A Comparative Analysis of the Gene Expression Profiles in the Mammary Glands of Lactating and Nonlactating Mares at the Second Month of Gestation.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Using Organoids to Tap Mammary Gland Diversity for Novel Insight.Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia · 2024Review
- Extraordinary diversity of the pinniped lactation triad: lactation and growth strategies of seals, sea lions, fur seals, and walruses.Animal frontiers : the review magazine of animal agriculture · 2023Article
- Mammary epithelial cell transcriptome reveals potential roles of lncRNAs in regulating milk synthesis pathways in Jersey and Kashmiri cattle.BMC genomics · 2022Article
- Mammalian tumor-like organs. 1. The role of tumor-like normal organs and atypical tumor organs in the evolution of development (carcino-evo-devo).Infectious agents and cancer · 2022Review
- A Comparative Review of the Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors Regulating Lactose Synthesis.Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia · 2021Review
- A Comparative Review of the Cell Biology, Biochemistry, and Genetics of Lactose Synthesis.Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia · 2021Review
- An Integrative Single-cell Transcriptomic Atlas of the Post-natal Mouse Mammary Gland Allows Discovery of New Developmental Trajectories in the Luminal Compartment.Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia · 2021Article
- DNA and RNA-sequence based GWAS highlights membrane-transport genes as key modulators of milk lactose content.BMC genomics · 2017Article
- Essential role for a novel population of binucleated mammary epithelial cells in lactation.Nature communications · 2016Article
- Comparative proteomics of milk fat globule membrane proteins from transgenic cloned cattle.PloS one · 2014Article
- Comparative transcriptome analyses reveal conserved and distinct mechanisms in ovine and bovine lactation.Functional & integrative genomics · 2013Article
- Oleic acid may be the key contributor in the BAMLET-induced erythrocyte hemolysis and tumoricidal action.PloS one · 2013Article
- Monotremes and marsupials: comparative models to better understand the function of milk.Journal of biosciences · 2012Article
- Triennial Lactation Symposium: A local affair: How the mammary gland adapts to changes in milking frequency.Journal of animal science · 2012Review
- Applications of site-specific labeling to study HAMLET, a tumoricidal complex of α-lactalbumin and oleic acid.PloS one · 2011Article
- Introduction: alpha-lactalbumin, a multifunctional protein that specifies lactose synthesis in the Golgi.Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia · 2009Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe mammary gland undergoes a sophisticated programme of developmental changes during pregnancy/lactation. However, little is known about processes involving initiation of apoptosis at involution following weaning. We used fur seals as models to study the molecular process of involution as these animals display a unique mammary gland phenotype. Fur seals have long lactation periods whereby mothers cycle between secreting copious quantities of milk for 2 to 3 days suckling pups on land, with trips to sea alone to forage for up to 23 days during which time mammary glands remain active without initiating apoptosis/involution.
resultsWe show the molecular basis by which alpha-lactalbumin (LALBA), a secreted milk protein, is absent in Cape fur seals and demonstrate an apoptotic function for LALBA when exposed to mammary cells.
conclusionWe propose that apoptosis does not occur in fur seal mammary glands due to lack of LALBA in fur seal milk, allowing evasion of involution during a foraging trip. Our work identifies LALBA as a milk factor that feeds back on the mammary gland to regulate involution.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.