scholarly journals Regulation of Pituitary Progenitor Differentiation by β-Catenin

Endocrinology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 159 (9) ◽  
pp. 3287-3305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie L Youngblood ◽  
Tanner F Coleman ◽  
Shannon W Davis
Keyword(s):  
Critical Time ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Pituitary Hormone ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Lineage Specification ◽  
Gain Of Function ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Critical Organ ◽  
Time Point

Abstract The pituitary gland is a critical organ that is necessary for many physiological processes, including growth, reproduction, and stress response. The secretion of pituitary hormones from specific cell types regulates these essential processes. Pituitary hormone cell types arise from a common pool of pituitary progenitors, and mutations that disrupt the formation and differentiation of pituitary progenitors result in hypopituitarism. Canonical WNT signaling through CTNNB1 (β-catenin) is known to regulate the formation of the POU1F1 lineage of pituitary cell types. When β-catenin is deleted during the initial formation of the pituitary progenitors, Pou1f1 is not transcribed, which leads to the loss of the POU1F1 lineage. However, when β-catenin is deleted after lineage specification, there is no observable effect. Similarly, the generation of a β-catenin gain-of-function allele in early pituitary progenitors or stem cells results in the formation of craniopharyngiomas, whereas stimulating β-catenin in differentiated cell types has no effect. PROP1 is a pituitary-specific transcription factor, and the peak of PROP1 expression coincides with a critical time point in pituitary organogenesis—that is, after pituitary progenitor formation but before lineage specification. We used a Prop1-cre to conduct both loss- and gain-of-function studies on β-catenin during this critical time point. Our results demonstrate that pituitary progenitors remain sensitive to both loss and gain of β-catenin at this time point, and that either manipulation results in hypopituitarism.

scholarly journals Purα Is Essential for Postnatal Brain Development and Developmentally Coupled Cellular Proliferation As Revealed by Genetic Inactivation in the Mouse

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (19) ◽  
pp. 6857-6875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamel Khalili ◽  
Luis Del Valle ◽  
Vandhana Muralidharan ◽  
William J. Gault ◽  
Nune Darbinian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Cellular Proliferation ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Synapse Formation ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Rna Transport ◽  
Protein Marker

ABSTRACT The single-stranded DNA- and RNA-binding protein, Purα, has been implicated in many biological processes, including control of transcription of multiple genes, initiation of DNA replication, and RNA transport and translation. Deletions of the PURA gene are frequent in acute myeloid leukemia. Mice with targeted disruption of the PURA gene in both alleles appear normal at birth, but at 2 weeks of age, they develop neurological problems manifest by severe tremor and spontaneous seizures and they die by 4 weeks. There are severely lower numbers of neurons in regions of the hippocampus and cerebellum of PURA−/− mice versus those of age-matched +/+ littermates, and lamination of these regions is aberrant at time of death. Immunohistochemical analysis of MCM7, a protein marker for DNA replication, reveals a lack of proliferation of precursor cells in these regions in the PURA−/− mice. Levels of proliferation were also absent or low in several other tissues of the PURA−/− mice, including those of myeloid lineage, whereas those of PURA+/− mice were intermediate. Evaluation of brain sections indicates a reduction in myelin and glial fibrillary acidic protein labeling in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, respectively, indicating pathological development of these cells. At postnatal day 5, a critical time for cerebellar development, Purα and Cdk5 were both at peak levels in bodies and dendrites of Purkinje cells of PURA+/+ mice, but both were absent in dendrites of PURA−/− mice. Purα and Cdk5 can be coimmunoprecipitated from brain lysates of PURA+/+ mice. Immunohistochemical studies reveal a dramatic reduction in the level of both phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated neurofilaments in dendrites of the Purkinje cell layer and of synapse formation in the hippocampus. Overall results are consistent with a role for Purα in developmentally timed DNA replication in specific cell types and also point to a newly emerging role in compartmentalized RNA transport and translation in neuronal dendrites.

scholarly journals Effects of Melatonin on Anterior Pituitary Plasticity: A Comparison Between Mammals and Teleosts

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elia Ciani ◽  
Trude M. Haug ◽  
Gersende Maugars ◽  
Finn-Arne Weltzien ◽  
Jack Falcón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pituitary Gland ◽  
Anterior Pituitary ◽  
Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pituitary Hormone ◽  
Hormone Production ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Important Target ◽  
Specific Receptors ◽  
Positive And Negative Feedback

Melatonin is a key hormone involved in the photoperiodic signaling pathway. In both teleosts and mammals, melatonin produced in the pineal gland at night is released into the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, providing rhythmic information to the whole organism. Melatonin acts via specific receptors, allowing the synchronization of daily and annual physiological rhythms to environmental conditions. The pituitary gland, which produces several hormones involved in a variety of physiological processes such as growth, metabolism, stress and reproduction, is an important target of melatonin. Melatonin modulates pituitary cellular activities, adjusting the synthesis and release of the different pituitary hormones to the functional demands, which changes during the day, seasons and life stages. It is, however, not always clear whether melatonin acts directly or indirectly on the pituitary. Indeed, melatonin also acts both upstream, on brain centers that control the pituitary hormone production and release, as well as downstream, on the tissues targeted by the pituitary hormones, which provide positive and negative feedback to the pituitary gland. In this review, we describe the known pathways through which melatonin modulates anterior pituitary hormonal production, distinguishing indirect effects mediated by brain centers from direct effects on the anterior pituitary. We also highlight similarities and differences between teleosts and mammals, drawing attention to knowledge gaps, and suggesting aims for future research.

Correlative transmission and high-resolution scanning electron microscopic studies on pituitary cells

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 20-21
Author(s):  
S. Tai
Keyword(s):  
Cell Types ◽  
Depth Of Field ◽  
Secretory Cells ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
3 Dimensional ◽  
Microscopic Studies ◽  
Structure And Activity ◽  
Intracellular Structure

Extensive cytological and histological research, correlated with physiological experimental analysis, have been done on the anterior pituitaries of many different vertebrates which have provided the knowledge to create the concept that specific cell types synthesize, store and release their specific hormones. These hormones are stored in or associated with granules. Nevertheless, there are still many doubts - that need further studies, specially on the ultrastructure and physiology of these endocrine cells during the process of synthesis, transport and secretion, whereas some new methods may provide the information about the intracellular structure and activity in detail.In the present work, ultrastructural study of the hormone-secretory cells of chicken pituitaries have been done by using TEM as well as HR-SEM, to correlate the informations obtained from 2-dimensional TEM micrography with the 3-dimensional SEM topographic images, which have a continous surface with larger depth of field that - offers the adventage to interpretate some intracellular structures which were not possible to see using TEM.

Nanotheranostic agents for neurodegenerative diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 645-675
Author(s):  
Parasuraman Padmanabhan ◽  
Mathangi Palanivel ◽  
Ajay Kumar ◽  
Domokos Máthé ◽  
George K. Radda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Target Tissue ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Surface Receptors ◽  
Theranostic Agents ◽  
Preclinical Animal Models

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), affect the ageing population worldwide and while severely impairing the quality of life of millions, they also cause a massive economic burden to countries with progressively ageing populations. Parallel with the search for biomarkers for early detection and prediction, the pursuit for therapeutic approaches has become growingly intensive in recent years. Various prospective therapeutic approaches have been explored with an emphasis on early prevention and protection, including, but not limited to, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy. Many pharmacological interventions have proved to be promising novel avenues, but successful applications are often hampered by the poor delivery of the therapeutics across the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). To overcome this challenge, nanoparticle (NP)-mediated drug delivery has been considered as a promising option, as NP-based drug delivery systems can be functionalized to target specific cell surface receptors and to achieve controlled and long-term release of therapeutics to the target tissue. The usefulness of NPs for loading and delivering of drugs has been extensively studied in the context of NDDs, and their biological efficacy has been demonstrated in numerous preclinical animal models. Efforts have also been made towards the development of NPs which can be used for targeting the BBB and various cell types in the brain. The main focus of this review is to briefly discuss the advantages of functionalized NPs as promising theranostic agents for the diagnosis and therapy of NDDs. We also summarize the results of diverse studies that specifically investigated the usage of different NPs for the treatment of NDDs, with a specific emphasis on AD and PD, and the associated pathophysiological changes. Finally, we offer perspectives on the existing challenges of using NPs as theranostic agents and possible futuristic approaches to improve them.

Epithelial Organotypic Cultures: A Viable Model to Address Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis by Epitheliotropic Viruses

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 246-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Termini ◽  
Enrique Boccardo
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Organotypic Cultures ◽  
Skin Physiology

In vitro culture of primary or established cell lines is one of the leading techniques in many areas of basic biological research. The use of pure or highly enriched cultures of specific cell types obtained from different tissues and genetics backgrounds has greatly contributed to our current understanding of normal and pathological cellular processes. Cells in culture are easily propagated generating an almost endless source of material for experimentation. Besides, they can be manipulated to achieve gene silencing, gene overexpression and genome editing turning possible the dissection of specific gene functions and signaling pathways. However, monolayer and suspension cultures of cells do not reproduce the cell type diversity, cell-cell contacts, cell-matrix interactions and differentiation pathways typical of the three-dimensional environment of tissues and organs from where they were originated. Therefore, different experimental animal models have been developed and applied to address these and other complex issues in vivo. However, these systems are costly and time consuming. Most importantly the use of animals in scientific research poses moral and ethical concerns facing a steadily increasing opposition from different sectors of the society. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of alternative in vitro experimental models that accurately reproduce the events observed in vivo to reduce the use of animals. Organotypic cultures combine the flexibility of traditional culture systems with the possibility of culturing different cell types in a 3D environment that reproduces both the structure and the physiology of the parental organ. Here we present a summarized description of the use of epithelial organotypic for the study of skin physiology, human papillomavirus biology and associated tumorigenesis.

par-4, a gene required for cytoplasmic localization and determination of specific cell types in Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis.

Genetics ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 771-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
D G Morton ◽  
J M Roos ◽  
K J Kemphues
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Intestinal Cells ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Cytoplasmic Localization ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Embryo Viability ◽  
Cell Stage ◽  
Maternal Genome

Abstract Specification of some cell fates in the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo is mediated by cytoplasmic localization under control of the maternal genome. Using nine newly isolated mutations, and two existing mutations, we have analyzed the role of the maternally expressed gene par-4 in cytoplasmic localization. We recovered seven new par-4 alleles in screens for maternal effect lethal mutations that result in failure to differentiate intestinal cells. Two additional par-4 mutations were identified in noncomplementation screens using strains with a high frequency of transposon mobility. All 11 mutations cause defects early in development of embryos produced by homozygous mutant mothers. Analysis with a deficiency in the region indicates that it33 is a strong loss-of-function mutation. par-4(it33) terminal stage embryos contain many cells, but show no morphogenesis, and are lacking intestinal cells. Temperature shifts with the it57ts allele suggest that the critical period for both intestinal differentiation and embryo viability begins during oogenesis, about 1.5 hr before fertilization, and ends before the four-cell stage. We propose that the primary function of the par-4 gene is to act as part of a maternally encoded system for cytoplasmic localization in the first cell cycle, with par-4 playing a particularly important role in the determination of intestine. Analysis of a par-4; par-2 double mutant suggests that par-4 and par-2 gene products interact in this system.

scholarly journals Estrogen mediates sex differences in preoptic neuropeptide and pituitary hormone production in medaka

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junpei Yamashita ◽  
Yuji Nishiike ◽  
Thomas Fleming ◽  
Daichi Kayo ◽  
Kataaki Okubo
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Pituitary ◽  
Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Pituitary Hormone ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Hormone Production ◽  
Anterior Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Vertebrate Brain ◽  
Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic Expression

AbstractThe preoptic area (POA) is one of the most evolutionarily conserved regions of the vertebrate brain and contains subsets of neuropeptide-expressing neurons. Here we found in the teleost medaka that two neuropeptides belonging to the secretin family, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (Pacap) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (Vip), exhibit opposite patterns of sexually dimorphic expression in the same population of POA neurons that project to the anterior pituitary: Pacap is male-biased, whereas Vip is female-biased. Estrogen secreted by the ovary in adulthood was found to attenuate Pacap expression and, conversely, stimulate Vip expression in the female POA, thereby establishing and maintaining their opposite sexual dimorphism. Pituitary organ culture experiments demonstrated that both Pacap and Vip can markedly alter the expression of various anterior pituitary hormones. Collectively, these findings show that males and females use alternative preoptic neuropeptides to regulate anterior pituitary hormones as a result of their different estrogen milieu.

scholarly journals Syndecans and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 349
Author(s):  
Nausika Betriu ◽  
Juan Bertran-Mas ◽  
Anna Andreeva ◽  
Carlos E. Semino
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Extracellular Matrix Components ◽  
Detection And Diagnosis ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Early Detection And Diagnosis

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a fatal disease with poor prognosis because patients rarely express symptoms in initial stages, which prevents early detection and diagnosis. Syndecans, a subfamily of proteoglycans, are involved in many physiological processes including cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration. Syndecans are physiologically found in many cell types and their interactions with other macromolecules enhance many pathways. In particular, extracellular matrix components, growth factors, and integrins collect the majority of syndecans associations acting as biochemical, physical, and mechanical transducers. Syndecans are transmembrane glycoproteins, but occasionally their extracellular domain can be released from the cell surface by the action of matrix metalloproteinases, converting them into soluble molecules that are capable of binding distant molecules such as extracellular matrix (ECM) components, growth factor receptors, and integrins from other cells. In this review, we explore the role of syndecans in tumorigenesis as well as their potential as therapeutic targets. Finally, this work reviews the contribution of syndecan-1 and syndecan-2 in PDAC progression and illustrates its potential to be targeted in future treatments for this devastating disease.

scholarly journals Adult tissue-resident stem cells—fact or fiction?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepa Bhartiya
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Cardiac Tissues ◽  
Adult Tissues ◽  
Resident Stem Cells ◽  
Abundant Cytoplasm

AbstractLife-long tissue homeostasis of adult tissues is supposedly maintained by the resident stem cells. These stem cells are quiescent in nature and rarely divide to self-renew and give rise to tissue-specific “progenitors” (lineage-restricted and tissue-committed) which divide rapidly and differentiate into tissue-specific cell types. However, it has proved difficult to isolate these quiescent stem cells as a physical entity. Recent single-cell RNAseq studies on several adult tissues including ovary, prostate, and cardiac tissues have not been able to detect stem cells. Thus, it has been postulated that adult cells dedifferentiate to stem-like state to ensure regeneration and can be defined as cells capable to replace lost cells through mitosis. This idea challenges basic paradigm of development biology regarding plasticity that a cell enters point of no return once it initiates differentiation. The underlying reason for this dilemma is that we are putting stem cells and somatic cells together while processing for various studies. Stem cells and adult mature cell types are distinct entities; stem cells are quiescent, small in size, and with minimal organelles whereas the mature cells are metabolically active and have multiple organelles lying in abundant cytoplasm. As a result, they do not pellet down together when centrifuged at 100–350g. At this speed, mature cells get collected but stem cells remain buoyant and can be pelleted by centrifuging at 1000g. Thus, inability to detect stem cells in recently published single-cell RNAseq studies is because the stem cells were unknowingly discarded while processing and were never subjected to RNAseq. This needs to be kept in mind before proposing to redefine adult stem cells.

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