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Published on: March 15, 2011

Novel patterns of gene expression in pituitary adenomas identified by complementary deoxyribonucleic acid microarrays

C O Evans1, A N Young, M R Brown

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery and Laboratory of Molecular Neurosurgery and Biotechnology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
|July 10, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified key genes involved in pituitary tumor formation. Aberrant regulation of folate receptor, ornithine decarboxylase, and c-mer proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase genes were observed in different pituitary adenoma types.

Area of Science:

  • * Endocrinology and Molecular Oncology
  • * Genetics and Genomics of Pituitary Tumors

Background:

  • * Pituitary adenomas represent approximately 10% of intracranial tumors, yet their oncogenesis remains poorly understood.
  • * Identifying tumor-specific genes is crucial for elucidating pituitary tumor formation pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate differential gene expression profiles in various pituitary adenoma subtypes.
  • * To identify specific genes with aberrant regulation implicated in pituitary tumorigenesis.

Main Methods:

  • * Complementary DNA (cDNA) microarrays were employed to analyze gene expression in normal pituitary tissue and nonfunctioning, prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), and ACTH-secreting adenomas.
  • * Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to validate the expression patterns of selected genes in 37 pituitary samples.

Main Results:

  • * Microarray analysis revealed differential expression in 128 out of 7075 genes examined.
  • * Folate receptor gene: Overexpressed in nonfunctioning adenomas; underexpressed in PRL and GH adenomas.
  • * Ornithine decarboxylase gene: Overexpressed in GH adenomas; underexpressed in ACTH adenomas.
  • * C-mer proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase gene: Overexpressed in ACTH adenomas; underexpressed in PRL adenomas.

Conclusions:

  • * At least three genes involved in carcinogenesis in other tissues are aberrantly regulated in major pituitary tumor types.
  • * These findings provide candidate genes for further investigation into pituitary tumorigenesis.
  • * Understanding these genetic alterations offers a rational approach to studying pituitary tumor development.

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DNA Microarrays

Microarrays are high-throughput and relatively inexpensive assays that can be automated to analyze large quantities of data at a time. They are used in genome-wide studies to compare gene or protein expression under two varied conditions, such as healthy and diseased states. Microarrays consist of glass or silica slides on which probe molecules are covalently attached through surface functionalization. Most commonly, the slides are prepared through the chemisorption of silanes to silica...