Pituitary cysts in the sea lamprey of the Great Lakes, Petromyzon marinus L.
Large epidermal cysts that occur in the adenohypophysis of spawning lampreys develop as a consequence of destructive invasion of the parenchyma by an epithelium derived from the same anlage as the medial nasopharyngeal duct. The lumina of the cysts contain a carbohydrate-rich secretory material which is a mixture of epithelial mucins. An array of histochemical methods was used to show the kinship of the cysts with the mucin-secreting epidermis of the duct. These cysts appear to be unique to the cyclostomes and to have no obvious adaptive benefit.
D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005399:Fishes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007798:Lampreys / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
D006023:Glycoproteins