title: Expression and functional characterization of the serine protease inhibitor neuroserpin in endocrine cells.
abstract: Serine proteases play essential roles in a wide variety of cellular processes in endocrine cells. There is a growing interest in the roles of serine protease inhibitors, or serpins, as key regulators of their activity. We have cloned two neuroserpin cDNAs from a rat pituitary cDNA library and confirmed tissue plasminogen activator as a potential target for this inhibitor. We show that neuroserpin transcripts are expressed by endocrine cells in the adrenal and pituitary glands and that immunoreactive neuroserpin is stored in densely cored secretory granules in these cells. Overexpression of neuroserpin in an anterior pituitary corticotroph cell line results in the extension of neurite-like processes, suggesting that neuroserpin may play a role in cell communication, cell adhesion, and/or cell migration.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rena M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Leigh C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Coates
authors.forename: Parmjeet K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Parmar
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mezey
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Nigel P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Birch
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000166:cytology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002450:Cell Communication; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D015723:Gene Library; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015843:Serpins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000097522:Neuroserpin
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009479:Neuropeptides; D015843:Serpins; D000097522:Neuroserpin