This Article Abstract Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Urbano J., A. G. Articles by Alvarez, C. V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Urbano J., A. G. Articles by Alvarez, C. V.

GDNF and RET-Gene Expression in Anterior Pituitary-Cell Types

Departments of Physiology (A.G.U., C.D., C.V.A.) and Legal Medicine (J.M.S.-P.), Faculty of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Clara V. Alvarez, University of Santiago de Compostela, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Santiago de Compostela, 15704 Spain.

	Abstract

Top Abstract

 
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is expressed in many neuronal and non-neuronal tissues during development as well as in adult animals. GDNF signaling is mediated through a two-component system consisting of the so called GDNF receptor-alfa (GFR1) which binds to GDNF. Thereafter this complex binds to and activates the tyrosine kinase receptor RET. In this work, for the first time, we have characterized the expression of both GDNF and RET in the anterior pituitary. First of all, RT-PCR analysis, Western blot and immunohistochemistry of the whole anterior pituitary showed that GDNF, GFR1 and RET are expressed in this gland. Following double-immunofluorescence of consecutive sections we found GDNF immunoreactivity in most cell types, and it was most abundant in corticotrophs (55%), LH (59%) and FSH-producing cells (81%). In contrast, while the majority of somatotrophs (87%) were stained for RET, no positive immunostaining could be detected in other cell types. Taken together, this data indicate that gonadotrophs and corticotrophs are the main source of GDNF synthesized in the anterior pituitary and that the somatotrophs appears to be their target cell. This study provides direct morphological evidences that GDNF may well be acting in a paracrine-like fashion in the regulation of somatotroph cell growth and/or cell function.

Received February 4, 2000.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Fouchecourt, M. Godet, O. Sabido, and P. Durand Glial cell-line-derived neurotropic factor and its receptors are expressed by germinal and somatic cells of the rat testis. J. Endocrinol., July 1, 2006; 190(1): 59 - 71. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. F. POWERS, K. H. SCHELLING, J. M. BRACHOLD, and A. S. TISCHLER Plasticity of Pheochromocytoma Cell Lines from Neurofibromatosis Knockout Mice Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., October 1, 2002; 971(1): 371 - 378. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Japon, A. G. Urbano, C. Saez, D. I. Segura, A. L. Cerro, C. Dieguez, and C. V. Alvarez Glial-Derived Neurotropic Factor and RET Gene Expression in Normal Human Anterior Pituitary Cell Types and in Pituitary Tumors J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 2002; 87(4): 1879 - 1884. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This Article Abstract Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Urbano J., A. G. Articles by Alvarez, C. V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Urbano J., A. G. Articles by Alvarez, C. V.