title: Pituitary tumors: cell type-specific roles for BMP-4.
abstract: BMP-4 plays a crucial role not only in the formation of the anterior pituitary during embryo development but also in the pathogenesis of pituitary tumors in adults. In tumor cells, BMP-4 promotes prolactin secretion and lactotroph cell proliferation through a Smad-estrogen receptor crosstalk but it inhibits ACTH production and cell proliferation of corticotrophs. In addition, BMP-4 increases GH secretion in rat pituitary tumor somatolactotroph GH3 cells and FSHbeta subunit gene transcription in the murine gonadotroph cell line, LbetaT2. Therefore, BMP-4 has a differential role on different types of pituitary tumors: it promotes pituitary prolactinoma while it inhibits corticotroph pathogenesis in Cushing's disease. The modulation of BMP-4 also plays an important role in the therapeutic mechanism of action of bromocriptine, somatostatin analogs and retinoic acid.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2, 80804 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Labeur
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Páez-Pereda
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haedo
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arzt
authors.forename: Günter K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Stalla
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D047748:Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion / Q000150:complications; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D015175:Prolactinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: C525809:BMP4 protein, human; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011388:Prolactin