Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026
09:48
Development of Organoids from Mouse Pituitary as In Vitro Model to Explore Pituitary Stem Cell Biology
Published on: February 25, 2022
4.7K
Multiple signaling pathways convey central and peripheral signals to regulate pituitary function: Lessons from human
M C Vázquez-Borrego1, M D Gahete1, A J Martínez-Fuentes1
1Maimonides Institute of Biomedical Research of Cordoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Reina Sofia University Hospital (HURS), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), 14004 Cordoba, Spain.
Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
|December 19, 2017
Summary
Pituitary cells regulate key functions like growth and reproduction. They integrate central and peripheral signals, adapting to species, age, and sex for homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
Background:
- The anterior pituitary gland controls vital functions: growth, reproduction, metabolism, and stress.
- Five cell types (somatotropes, lactotropes, corticotropes, thyrotropes, gonadotropes) produce specific hormones.
- Traditionally, pituitary hormone regulation was attributed to central neuroendocrine signals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review central and peripheral regulators of pituitary cell function.
- To explore associated intracellular mechanisms.
- Focus on human and non-human primate models.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of neuroendocrine and peripheral feedback mechanisms.
- Analysis of intracellular signaling pathways.
- Comparative analysis across species, ages, and sexes.
Main Results:
- Pituitary cells integrate both central and peripheral signals.
- Peripheral feedback loops directly influence pituitary hormone synthesis and release.
- Regulation is demonstrably species-, age-, and sex-dependent.
Conclusions:
- Anterior pituitary cells act as crucial sensors for maintaining whole-body homeostasis.
- Understanding both central and peripheral regulation is key to pituitary function.
- This review synthesizes current knowledge on pituitary cell regulation in primates.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
7.4K
Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
7.4K
01:45Endocrine Signaling
68.3K
Endocrine cells produce hormones to communicate with remote target cells found in other organs. The hormone reaches these distant areas using the circulatory system. This exposes the whole organism to the hormone but only those cells expressing hormone receptors or target cells are affected. Thus, endocrine signaling induces slow responses from its target cells but these effects also last longer.
68.3K
01:08Chemical Signaling in the Endocrine System
7.4K
A signaling cascade is a series of events that facilitates the transmission of information within or between cells, culminating in a targeted response in the recipient cell. As chemical messengers, hormones are pivotal in initiating and modulating these intricate signaling cascades based on their solubility.
Lipid-soluble hormones, such as steroid hormones, demonstrate an intracellular action. These hormones traverse cell membranes due to their lipid nature. Once inside the target cell, they...
Lipid-soluble hormones, such as steroid hormones, demonstrate an intracellular action. These hormones traverse cell membranes due to their lipid nature. Once inside the target cell, they...
7.4K
01:19Regulation of Hormone Secretion
7.0K
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...
Humoral...
7.0K
01:26Secondary Messengers in Hormone Action
5.6K
Water-soluble hormones cannot cross the plasma membrane, so they rely on protein receptors that span the membrane to trigger intracellular signaling pathways. These pathways then activate second messengers inside the cell, including cAMP or calcium ions.
Many hormones bind to transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors that connect to regulatory G proteins. These G proteins can then activate enzymes such as adenylyl cyclase or phospholipase C. Adenylyl cyclase converts ATP to cAMP, activating...
Many hormones bind to transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors that connect to regulatory G proteins. These G proteins can then activate enzymes such as adenylyl cyclase or phospholipase C. Adenylyl cyclase converts ATP to cAMP, activating...
5.6K
01:22Diversity in Cell Signaling Responses
8.0K
The physiological function of a cell and cellular communication are outcomes of a range of extrinsic signals, intracellular signaling pathways, and cellular responses. No two cell types express the same repertoire of signaling components. Receptors are highly selective for their cognate ligands, but once activated, they can alter multiple cellular processes such as DNA transcription, protein synthesis, and metabolic activity.
Graded and Abrupt Responses
Some signaling systems generate...
Graded and Abrupt Responses
Some signaling systems generate...
8.0K