title: Related pituitary cell lineages develop into interdigitated 3D cell networks.
abstract: The pituitary gland has long been considered to be a random patchwork of hormone-producing cells. By using pituitary-scale tridimensional imaging for two of the least abundant cell lineages, the corticotropes and gonadotropes, we have now uncovered highly organized and interdigitated cell networks that reflect homotypic and heterotypic interactions between cells. Although newly differentiated corticotrope cells appear on the ventral surface of the gland, they rapidly form homotypic strands of cells that extend from the lateral tips of the anterior pituitary along its ventral surface and into the medial gland. As the corticotrope network is established away from the microvasculature, cell morphology changes from rounded, to polygonal, and finally to cells with long cytoplasmic processes or cytonemes that connect corticotropes to the perivascular space. Gonadotropes differentiate later and are positioned in close proximity to corticotropes and capillaries. Blockade of corticotrope terminal differentiation produced by knockout of the gene encoding the transcription factor Tpit results in smaller gonadotropes within an expanded cell network, particularly in the lateral gland. Thus, pituitary-scale tridimensional imaging reveals highly structured cell networks of unique topology for each pituitary lineage. The sequential development of interdigitated cell networks during organogenesis indicate that extensive cell:cell interactions lead to a highly ordered cell positioning rather than random patchwork.
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
authors: Lionel
authors: L
authors: Budry
authors: Chrystel
authors: C
authors: Lafont
authors: Taoufik
authors: T
authors: El Yandouzi
authors: Norbert
authors: N
authors: Chauvet
authors: Geneviève
authors: G
authors: Conéjero
authors: Jacques
authors: J
authors: Drouin
authors: Patrice
authors: P
authors: Mollard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049490:Systems Biology
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone