1
|
Ferreira NGBP, Madeira JLO, Gergics P, Kertsz R, Marques JM, Trigueiro NSS, Benedetti AFF, Azevedo BV, Fernandes BHV, Bissegatto DD, Biscotto IP, Fang Q, Ma Q, Ozel AB, Li J, Camper SA, Jorge AAL, Mendonça BB, Arnhold IJP, Carvalho LR. Homozygous CDH2 variant may be associated with hypopituitarism without neurological disorders. Endocr Connect 2023; 12:e220473. [PMID: 37166408 PMCID: PMC10388658 DOI: 10.1530/ec-22-0473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Context Congenital hypopituitarism is a genetically heterogeneous condition. Whole exome sequencing (WES) is a promising approach for molecular diagnosis of patients with this condition. Objectives The aim of this study is to conduct WES in a patient with congenital hypopituitarism born to consanguineous parents, CDH2 screening in a cohort of patients with congenital hypopituitarism, and functional testing of a novel CDH2 variant. Design Genomic DNA from a proband and her consanguineous parents was analyzed by WES. Copy number variants were evaluated. The genetic variants were filtered for population frequency (ExAC, 1000 genomes, gnomAD, and ABraOM), in silico prediction of pathogenicity, and gene expression in the pituitary and/or hypothalamus. Genomic DNA from 145 patients was screened for CDH2 by Sanger sequencing. Results One female patient with deficiencies in growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone and ectopic posterior pituitary gland contained a rare homozygous c.865G>A (p.Val289Ile) variant in CDH2. To determine whether the p.Val289Ile variant in CDH2 affects cell adhesion properties, we stably transfected L1 fibroblast lines, labeled the cells with lipophilic dyes, and quantified aggregation. Large aggregates formed in cells expressing wildtype CDH2, but aggregation was impaired in cells transfected with variant CDH2 or non-transfected. Conclusion A homozygous CDH2 allelic variant was found in one hypopituitarism patient, and the variant impaired cell aggregation function in vitro. No disease-causing variants were found in 145 other patients screened for CDH2 variants. Thus, CDH2 is a candidate gene for hypopituitarism that needs to be tested in different populations. Significance statement A female patient with hypopituitarism was born from consanguineous parents and had a homozygous, likely pathogenic, CDH2 variant that impairs cell aggregation in vitro. No other likely pathogenic variants in CDH2 were identified in 145 hypopituitarism patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia G B P Ferreira
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joao L O Madeira
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Peter Gergics
- Laboratório de Sequenciamento em Larga Escala (SELA), Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renata Kertsz
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana M Marques
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nicholas S S Trigueiro
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Bruna V Azevedo
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bianca H V Fernandes
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Universidade de São Paulo, Zebrafish Facility, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Debora D Bissegatto
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabela P Biscotto
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Qing Fang
- Laboratório de Sequenciamento em Larga Escala (SELA), Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Qianyi Ma
- Laboratório de Sequenciamento em Larga Escala (SELA), Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Asye B Ozel
- Laboratório de Sequenciamento em Larga Escala (SELA), Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jun Li
- Laboratório de Sequenciamento em Larga Escala (SELA), Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sally A Camper
- Laboratório de Sequenciamento em Larga Escala (SELA), Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexander A L Jorge
- Unidade de Endocrinologia Genética, Laboratório de Endocrinologia Celular e Molecular LIM25, Disciplina de Endocrinologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Berenice B Mendonça
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivo J P Arnhold
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciani R Carvalho
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fletcher PA, Smiljanic K, Maso Prévide R, Iben JR, Li T, Rokic MB, Sherman A, Coon SL, Stojilkovic SS. Cell Type- and Sex-Dependent Transcriptome Profiles of Rat Anterior Pituitary Cells. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:623. [PMID: 31620083 PMCID: PMC6760010 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the physiology and pathology of an organ composed of a variety of cell populations depends critically on genome-wide information on each cell type. Here, we report single-cell transcriptome profiling of over 6,800 freshly dispersed anterior pituitary cells from postpubertal male and female rats. Six pituitary-specific cell types were identified based on known marker genes and characterized: folliculostellate cells and hormone-producing corticotrophs, gonadotrophs, thyrotrophs, somatotrophs, and lactotrophs. Also identified were endothelial and blood cells from the pituitary capillary network. The expression of numerous developmental and neuroendocrine marker genes in both folliculostellate and hormone-producing cells supports that they have a common origin. For several genes, the validity of transcriptome analysis was confirmed by qRT-PCR and single cell immunocytochemistry. Folliculostellate cells exhibit impressive transcriptome diversity, indicating their major roles in production of endogenous ligands and detoxification enzymes, and organization of extracellular matrix. Transcriptome profiles of hormone-producing cells also indicate contributions toward those functions, while also clearly demonstrating their endocrine function. This survey highlights many novel genetic markers contributing to pituitary cell type identity, sexual dimorphism, and function, and points to relationships between hormone-producing and folliculostellate cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A. Fletcher
- Laboratory of Biological Modeling, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Kosara Smiljanic
- Section on Cellular Signaling, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Rafael Maso Prévide
- Section on Cellular Signaling, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - James R. Iben
- Molecular Genomics Core, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Tianwei Li
- Molecular Genomics Core, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Milos B. Rokic
- Section on Cellular Signaling, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Arthur Sherman
- Laboratory of Biological Modeling, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Steven L. Coon
- Molecular Genomics Core, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Stanko S. Stojilkovic
- Section on Cellular Signaling, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Edwards W, Raetzman LT. Complex integration of intrinsic and peripheral signaling is required for pituitary gland development. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:504-513. [PMID: 29757344 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The coordination of pituitary development is complicated and requires input from multiple cellular processes. Recent research has provided insight into key molecular determinants that govern cell fate specification in the pituitary. Moreover, increasing research aimed to identify, characterize, and functionally describe the presumptive pituitary stem cell population has allowed for a better understanding of the processes that govern endocrine cell differentiation in the developing pituitary. The culmination of this research has led to the ability of investigators to recapitulate some of embryonic pituitary development in vitro, the first steps to developing novel regenerative therapies for pituitary diseases. In this current review, we cover the major players in pituitary stem/progenitor cell function and maintenance, and the key molecular determinants of endocrine cell specification. In addition, we discuss the contribution of peripheral hormonal regulation of pituitary gland development, an understudied area of research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Whitney Edwards
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Lori T Raetzman
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Christian HC, Imirtziadis L, Tortonese D. Ultrastructural changes in lactotrophs and folliculo-stellate cells in the ovine pituitary during the annual reproductive cycle. J Neuroendocrinol 2015; 27:277-84. [PMID: 25650820 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In seasonal mammals living in temperate zones, photoperiod regulates prolactin secretion, such that prolactin plasma concentrations peak during the summer months and are lowest during the winter. In sheep, a short-day breeder, circulating prolactin has important modulatory effects on the reproductive system via inhibitory actions on pituitary gonadotrophs and hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone release. The exact cellular mechanisms that account for the chronic hypersecretion of prolactin during the summer is not known, although evidence supports an intrapituitary mechanism regulated by melatonin. Folliculo-stellate (FS) cells are non-endocrine cells that play a crucial role in paracrine communication within the pituitary and produce factors controlling prolactin and gonadotrophin release. The present study examined the morphology of the FS and lactotroph cell populations and their distribution in the sheep pituitary during the annual reproductive cycle. Ovine pituitary glands were collected in the winter (breeding season; BS) and summer (nonbreeding season; NBS) and were prepared for quantitative electron microscopy to assess the effects of season on FS and lactotroph cell density, morphology and distribution, as well as on junctional contacts between cells. It was found that lactotrophs in the NBS are larger in size and contain more numerous PRL granules than lactotrophs in the BS. FS cells were also larger in the NBS compared to BS and showed altered morphology such that, in the BS, long cell processes surrounded clusters of adjacent secretory cells. Although no significant change in the number of junctions was observed between lactotrophs and FS cells, or lactotrophs and gonadotrophs, there was a significant increase in the number of adherens junctions between lactotrophs and between FS cells. These findings demonstrate seasonal plasticity in the morphology of lactotrophs and FS cells that reflect changes in PRL secretion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H C Christian
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
Significant progress has been made recently in unravelling the embryonic events leading to pituitary morphogenesis, both in vivo and in vitro. This includes dissection of the molecular mechanisms controlling patterning of the ventral diencephalon that regulate formation of the pituitary anlagen or Rathke's pouch. There is also a better characterisation of processes that underlie maintenance of pituitary progenitors, specification of endocrine lineages and the three-dimensional organisation of newly differentiated endocrine cells. Furthermore, a population of adult pituitary stem cells (SCs), originating from embryonic progenitors, have been described and shown to have not only regenerative potential, but also the capacity to induce tumour formation. Finally, the successful recapitulation in vitro of embryonic events leading to generation of endocrine cells from embryonic SCs, and their subsequent transplantation, represents exciting advances towards the use of regenerative medicine to treat endocrine deficits. In this review, an up-to-date description of pituitary morphogenesis will be provided and discussed with particular reference to pituitary SC studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karine Rizzoti
- Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental GeneticsMRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lekva T, Berg JP, Heck A, Lyngvi Fougner S, Olstad OK, Ringstad G, Bollerslev J, Ueland T. Attenuated RORC expression in the presence of EMT progression in somatotroph adenomas following treatment with somatostatin analogs is associated with poor clinical recovery. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66927. [PMID: 23825587 PMCID: PMC3692554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatostatin analogs (SA) have been established as the first line medical treatment for acromegaly, but following long-term treatment, SA normalizes GH and IGF-I levels in only 40–60% of patients. The epithelial marker E-cadherin plays a crucial role in the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and is associated with a poor response to SA treatment. We hypothesized that the characterization of transcripts regulated by SA in somatotroph adenomas with high and low E-cadherin expression may identify signaling pathways and mediators that can explain the poor response to SA treatment. We performed a microarray analysis of sixteen adenomas with different levels of E-cadherin and SA treatment to identify regulated transcripts. Candidate transcripts were further explored in vivo in sixty-five adenomas, and interactions between SA treatment and EMT progression on mRNA expression profiles and associations with clinical recovery were assessed. Finally, the effects of SA treatment on adenoma cells in vitro from acromegalic patients were determined. Microarray analysis of selected adenomas with differential E-cadherin expression, as a marker of EMT progression, identified 172 genes that displayed differential expression that was dependent on SA treatment. The validation of selected candidates in the entire cohort identified 9 transcripts that showed an interaction between E-cadherin expression and SA treatment. Further analysis of the impact of these genes suggests that attenuated RORC expression in somatotroph adenomas is associated with increased tumor size and a blunted clinical response. Our study indicates that attenuated RORC may be involved in the poor clinical response to SA treatment in patients with acromegaly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tove Lekva
- Section of Specialized Endocrinology, Department of Endocrinology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Radice GL. N-cadherin-mediated adhesion and signaling from development to disease: lessons from mice. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2013; 116:263-89. [PMID: 23481199 PMCID: PMC6047516 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394311-8.00012-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Of the 20 classical cadherin subtypes identified in mammals, the functions of the two initially identified family members E- (epithelial) and N- (neural) cadherin have been most extensively studied. E- and N-Cadherin have mostly mutually exclusive expression patterns, with E-cadherin expressed primarily in epithelial cells, whereas N-cadherin is found in a variety of cells, including neural, muscle, and mesenchymal cells. N-Cadherin function, in particular, appears to be cell context-dependent, as it can mediate strong cell-cell adhesion in the heart but induces changes in cell behavior in favor of a migratory phenotype in the context of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The ability of tumor cells to alter their cadherin expression profile, for example, E- to N-cadherin, is critical for malignant progression. Recent advances in mouse molecular genetics, and specifically tissue-specific knockout and knockin alleles of N-cadherin, have provided some unexpected results. This chapter highlights some of the genetic studies that explored the complex role of N-cadherin in embryonic development and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Glenn L Radice
- Department of Medicine, Center for Translational Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hochmeister S, Romauch M, Bauer J, Seifert-Held T, Weissert R, Linington C, Hartung HP, Fazekas F, Storch MK. Re-expression of N-cadherin in remyelinating lesions of experimental inflammatory demyelination. Exp Neurol 2012; 237:70-7. [PMID: 22735489 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2012.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The cell adhesion molecule N-cadherin is involved in several processes during central nervous system development, but also in certain pathologic conditions in the adult brain, including tumorigenesis and Alzheimer's disease. N-cadherin function in inflammatory demyelinating disease has so far not been investigated. In vitro studies suggest a role of N-cadherin in myelination; on the other hand N-cadherin has been implicated in the formation of the glial scar, which is believed to impede remyelination. The aim of our study was to investigate the expression pattern of N-cadherin immunoreactivity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-EAE), an animal model closely mimicking multiple sclerosis. It allows a detailed evaluation of all stages of de- and remyelination during lesion development. Immunopathological evaluation was performed on paraffin-embedded CNS sections sampled at days 20 to 120 post immunization. We found a predominant expression of N-cadherin on oligodendrocytes in early remyelinating lesions, while in fully remyelinated shadow plaques there was no detectable immunoreactivity for N-cadherin. This expression pattern indicates a role of N-cadherin in the initiation of remyelination, most likely by providing a guidance between myelin lamellae and oligodendrocytes. Once the initial contact is made N-cadherin is then rapidly downregulated and virtually absent after completion of the repair process, analog to its known role in developmental myelination. Our results show that N-cadherin plays an important role in creating a remyelination-facilitating environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Hochmeister
- Department of Neurology, Medical University Graz, Austria.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|