Role of the non-canonical notch ligand delta-like protein 1 in hormone-producing cells of the adult male mouse pituitary.
| Autor: | Puertas-Avendaño RA; Cell Biology Section, School of Biology, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain., González-Gómez MJ, Ruvira MD, Ruiz-Hidalgo MJ, Morales-Delgado N, Laborda J, Díaz C, Bello AR |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Journal of neuroendocrinology [J Neuroendocrinol] 2011 Sep; Vol. 23 (9), pp. 849-59. |
| DOI: | 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02189.x |
| Abstrakt: | To better understand the role of the non-canonical Notch ligand delta-like protein 1 (DLK1), in hormone-producing cells, we studied the cell distribution and subcellular localisation of DLK1 in the pituitary of male adult 129/SvJ mice, and analysed the variations in the hormone-producing cells associated with the lack of this gene in Dlk1 knockout mice. The results obtained showed the presence of DLK1-immunoreactive (ir) cells in all hormone-producing cells of the anterior pituitary. Immunoelectron microscopy showed DLK1-ir in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and inside secretory vesicles, suggesting that DLK1 is released together with pituitary hormones. Moreover, we found that prolactin (PRL)-DLK1-ir cells are in intimate contact with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-ir-DLK1-negative cells. In Dlk1 knockout mice, we detected a significantly lower number of gowth hormone (GH)-ir cells, a reduction in the FSH and PRL immunostaining intensity, and a significant decrease in FSH mRNA expression compared to wild-type mice. An increase in pituitary GH mRNA expression and serum leptin levels was also found. These findings provide evidence supporting several regulatory functions of DLK1 in the pituitary gland. (© 2011 The Authors. Journal of Neuroendocrinology © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.) |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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