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Regulation of pituitary gene expression by adrenalectomy

Yuichiro Nishida1, Mayumi Yoshioka, Chester A Ray

  • 1Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Functional Genomics Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology and Oncology Research Center, Laval University Medical Center, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|December 25, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Adrenalectomy (ADX) in mice alters pituitary gene expression, potentially explaining weight loss and hypotension. This study used SAGE to identify key transcript changes following ADX.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Excess adrenal hormone secretion causes metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension).
  • Adrenalectomy (ADX) ameliorates these metabolic abnormalities.
  • Pituitary mediators of ADX-induced physiological changes like weight loss and hypotension are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify pituitary gene expression changes in response to ADX.
  • To investigate the role of the pituitary transcriptome in ADX-induced physiological alterations.

Main Methods:

  • Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) was employed to analyze pituitary transcriptomes.
  • SAGE libraries were constructed from intact and ADX mice.
  • Differential gene expression analysis was performed.

Main Results:

  • Thirty-one transcripts showed differential expression between intact and ADX mice.
  • ADX induced transcripts for proopiomelanocortin, neuromedin B, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 2, and IA-2.
  • ADX altered expression of genes related to cation transport and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, including nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase 3 and cytochrome c oxidase 3.

Conclusions:

  • ADX induces significant alterations in pituitary gene expression.
  • These transcriptomic changes may underlie ADX-associated physiological effects such as weight loss and hypotension.
  • The study identified novel transcripts and genes with uncharacterized functions modulated by ADX.

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