TTF-1 regulates growth hormone and prolactin transcription in the anterior pituitary gland.
Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) is required for morphogenesis of the fetal diencephalon. Previous reports showed that mice carrying a TTF-1 null mutation lacked normal development of the pituitary gland. In this study, a role for TTF-1 in the regulation of growth hormone and prolactin transcription was identified. In-situ hybridization analysis demonstrated TTF-1 mRNA in the growth hormone-producing cells and prolactin-producing cells of the rat anterior pituitary gland. In the GH3 pituitary cell line, we identified TTF-1 as a factor functionally regulating growth hormone and prolactin transcription. TTF-1 activated prolactin transcription, but inhibited growth hormone transcription. Inhibition and activation of growth hormone and prolactin transcription, respectively, by TTF-1 disappeared upon deletion of the TTF-1 binding motifs within the promoters of these genes. These data suggest that TTF-1 plays a regulatory role in the transcription of growth hormone and prolactin genes and may regulate transdifferentiation of cells expressing these two hormones.
Lee
Nam Oak
NO
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea.
Son
Young June
YJ
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Jae Geun
JG
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea.
Ha
Chang Man
CM
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea.
Yun
Chang Ho
CH
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea.
Lim
Hye Li
HL
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea.
Park
Jeong Woo
JW
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea.
D'Elia
Angela Valentina
AV
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
Damante
Giuseppe
G
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
Lee
Byung Ju
BJ
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: bjlee@ulsan.ac.kr.
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000074482:Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
C000614414:Nkx2-1 protein, mouse; C000614416:Nkx2-1 protein, rat; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000074482:Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone