Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026
11:53
A Protocol for Multiple Gene Knockout in Mouse Small Intestinal Organoids Using a CRISPR-concatemer
Published on: July 12, 2017
Pituitary-specific knockout of steroidogenic factor 1
1Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-8857, USA.
Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
|December 12, 2001
Summary
Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) is crucial for adrenal and gonad development. Pituitary-specific SF-1 knockout mice exhibit hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, demonstrating SF-1
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) is an orphan nuclear receptor critical for endocrine development.
- Global SF-1 knockout mice display severe defects in adrenal and gonad formation, leading to adrenal insufficiency and sex reversal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific role of SF-1 in the anterior pituitary gland.
- To elucidate the function of SF-1 in gonadotropin expression and regulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Cre-loxP system to generate pituitary-specific SF-1 knockout mice.
- Assessed adrenal and gonad development, sexual maturation, and pituitary hormone levels (FSH, LH).
- Confirmed the specificity of gene targeting through SF-1 immunoreactivity analysis.
Main Results:
- Pituitary-specific SF-1 knockout mice were sterile with significantly reduced gonad size (approximately 5% of wild-type).
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were markedly decreased in knockout mice.
- SF-1 was absent in the anterior pituitary but present in the adrenal cortex, confirming targeted inactivation.
Conclusions:
- SF-1 plays an essential role in the development and function of pituitary gonadotropes.
- Pituitary-specific SF-1 knockout mice represent a novel genetic model for studying hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
- SF-1 is indispensable for the expression of FSH and LH, underscoring its importance in reproductive endocrinology.
Related Concept Videos
01:16In-vitro Mutagenesis
To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.
01:45Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
01:19Regulation of Hormone Secretion
Regulation of hormone secretion is a finely tuned orchestration driven by various types of stimuli, encompassing neural, humoral, and hormonal signals. Environmental cues instigate neural stimuli, where action potentials traverse nerve fibers to reach their designated targets. An illustrative scenario is the body's response to stress, wherein the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine from the adrenal glands, inducing the well-known 'fight or flight' reaction.
Humoral stimuli,...
Humoral stimuli,...