WNT5A signaling affects pituitary gland shape

Wnt signaling is important in organogenesis, and aberrant signaling in mature cells is associated with tumorigenesis. Several members of the Wnt family of signaling molecules are expressed in the developing pituitary gland. Wnt5a is expressed in the neuroectoderm that induces pituitary gland develop...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mechanisms of development 2004-02, Vol.121 (2), p.183-194
Main Authors: Cha, Kelly B., Douglas, Kristin R., Potok, Mary Anne, Liang, Huiling, Jones, Stephen N., Camper, Sally A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Base Sequence
Body Patterning
Cell Death
Cell Division
DNA - genetics
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice, Knockout
Pituitary Gland - abnormalities
Pituitary Gland - embryology
Pituitary gland development
Proto-Oncogene Proteins - deficiency
Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics
Proto-Oncogene Proteins - physiology
Signal Transduction
Transcription Factors - genetics
Ventral diencephalon
Wingless
Wnt
Wnt Proteins
Wnt-5a Protein
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Summary:Wnt signaling is important in organogenesis, and aberrant signaling in mature cells is associated with tumorigenesis. Several members of the Wnt family of signaling molecules are expressed in the developing pituitary gland. Wnt5a is expressed in the neuroectoderm that induces pituitary gland development and has been proposed to influence pituitary cell specification. We discovered that mice deficient in Wnt5a display abnormal morphology in the dorsal part of the developing pituitary. The expression of downstream effectors of the canonical Wnt pathway is not altered, and expression of genes in other signaling pathways such as Shh, Fgf8, Fgf10 and Fgfr2b is intact. Prop1 and Hesx1 are also important for normal shape of the pituitary primordium, but their expression is unaltered in the Wnt5a mutants. Specification of the hormone-producing cell types of the mature anterior pituitary gland occurs appropriately. This study suggests that the primary role of Wnt5a in the developing pituitary gland is in establishment of the shape of the gland.
ISSN:0925-4773
1872-6356
DOI:10.1016/j.mod.2003.12.002