title: Prolactin receptor signaling mediates the osmotic response of embryonic zebrafish lactotrophs.
abstract: The pituitary hormone prolactin (PRL) regulates salt and water homeostasis by altering ion retention and water uptake through peripheral osmoregulatory organs. To understand the role of osmotic homeostasis in the development of PRL-secreting lactotrophs, we generated germline transgenic zebrafish coexpressing red fluorescent protein directed by Prolactin regulatory elements (PRL-RFP) and green fluorescent protein by the Pro-opiomelanocortin promoter (POMC-GFP). Transparent embryos expressing fluorescent markers specifically targeted to lactotrophs and corticotrophs, the two pituitary lineages involved in teleost osmotic adaptation, allowed in vivo dynamic tracing of pituitary ontogeny during altered environmental salinity. Physiological osmotic changes selectively regulate lactotroph but not corticotroph proliferation during early ontogeny. These changes are not suppressed by pharmacological dopamine receptor blockade but are completely abrogated by morpholino knockdown of the PRL receptor. PRL receptor signaling exerts robust effects on lactotroph development and plays a permissive role in lactotroph osmo-responsiveness, reflecting the dual peripheral and central interactions required for early pituitary development and embryonic homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90048, USA.
authors.forename: Ning-Ai
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kolja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wawrowsky
authors.forename: Zhongan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melmed
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001483:Base Sequence; D016373:DNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D034622:RNA Interference; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011981:Receptors, Prolactin / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016373:DNA, Antisense; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D011981:Receptors, Prolactin