title: Lessons from the gene expression pattern of the rat zona glomerulosa.
abstract: We recently identified hundreds of transcripts with differential expression in rat zona glomerulosa (zG) and zona fasciculata. Although the genes up-regulated in the zG may be playing important roles in aldosterone production, the relationship between most of these genes and aldosterone production has not been uncovered. Because aldosterone, in the presence of a high sodium diet, is now considered a significant cardiovascular risk factor, in this review we performed gene ontology and pathway analyses on the same microarray data to better define the genes that may influence zG function. Overall, we identified a number of genes that may be involved in aldosterone production through transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), WNT, calcium, potassium, and ACTH signaling pathways. The list of genes we present in the current report may become an important tool for researchers working on primary aldosteronism and aldosterone-related cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. Department of Urology, Tachikawa Hospital, Tokyo 190-8531, Japan. sweet.marino@gmail.com
authors.forename: Koshiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimoto
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Rainey
authors.forename: Wendy B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Bollag
authors.forename: Tsugio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seki
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015383:Zona Fasciculata / Q000378:metabolism*; D015384:Zona Glomerulosa / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000450:Aldosterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium