Amphibian Melanotrophs as a Model to Analyze the Secretory Plasticity of Endocrine Cells

Precise regulation of hormone secretion from endocrine cells is of critical importance for the maintenance of animal homeostasis. This is partly enabled through the ability of endocrine cells to adapt dynamically their secretory activity to the physiological demands through complex functional change...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:General and Comparative Endocrinology 2002-03, Vol.126 (1), p.4-6
Main Authors: Peinado, Juan R., Castaño, Justo P., Vázquez-Martı́nez, Rafael, Anouar, Youssef, Tonon, Marie Christine, Vaudry, Hubert, Gracia-Navarro, Francisco, Malagón, Marı́a M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
alpha-MSH - genetics
alpha-MSH - secretion
Animals
Chromogranins
frog
gene expression
granins
intermediate lobe
melanotroph subtypes
Pituitary Gland - secretion
Proteins - genetics
Proteins - metabolism
Ranidae - physiology
secretory pathway
Secretory Vesicles - metabolism
Secretory Vesicles - secretion
α-MSH
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Summary:Precise regulation of hormone secretion from endocrine cells is of critical importance for the maintenance of animal homeostasis. This is partly enabled through the ability of endocrine cells to adapt dynamically their secretory activity to the physiological demands through complex functional changes. Such a secretory plasticity results from coordinated adaptive changes at several levels of cell function, including hormonal gene expression and biosynthesis, hormone processing, trafficking, storage and release, expression of membrane receptors, activation of signaling pathways, etc. Integration of all these processes at the single cell level defines the secretory status of each of the individual cells producing a given hormone, whose coordinated activity ultimately determines the response of the whole endocrine gland. This short review summarizes our most recent findings on the cellular and molecular elements and mechanisms underlying the secretory plasticity of endocrine cells, obtained from the analysis of distinct aspects of melanotroph cell function.
ISSN:0016-6480
1095-6840
DOI:10.1006/gcen.2002.7778