Cheung Leonard Y M, Davis Shannon W, Brinkmeier Michelle L, Camper Sally A, Pérez-Millán María Inés
Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5618, USA.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208-0001, USA.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2017 Apr 15;445:14-26. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.09.016. Epub 2016 Sep 17.
The anterior pituitary gland is comprised of specialized cell-types that produce and secrete polypeptide hormones in response to hypothalamic input and feedback from target organs. These specialized cells arise from stem cells that express SOX2 and the pituitary transcription factor PROP1, which is necessary to establish the stem cell pool and promote an epithelial to mesenchymal-like transition, releasing progenitors from the niche. The adult anterior pituitary responds to physiological challenge by mobilizing the SOX2-expressing progenitor pool and producing additional hormone-producing cells. Knowledge of the role of signaling pathways and extracellular matrix components in these processes may lead to improvements in the efficiency of differentiation of embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells into hormone producing cells in vitro. Advances in our basic understanding of pituitary stem cell regulation and differentiation may lead to improved diagnosis and treatment for patients with hypopituitarism.
腺垂体由特殊细胞类型组成，这些细胞根据下丘脑输入和靶器官的反馈产生并分泌多肽激素。这些特殊细胞起源于表达SOX2和垂体转录因子PROP1的干细胞，PROP1对于建立干细胞池和促进上皮向间充质样转变、使祖细胞从生态位释放是必需的。成年腺垂体通过动员表达SOX2的祖细胞池并产生更多产生激素的细胞来应对生理挑战。了解信号通路和细胞外基质成分在这些过程中的作用，可能会提高胚胎干细胞或诱导多能干细胞在体外分化为产生激素细胞的效率。我们对垂体干细胞调节和分化的基本认识的进展，可能会改善垂体功能减退患者的诊断和治疗。
