title: Pituitary gland development and disease: from stem cell to hormone production.
abstract: Many aspects of pituitary development have become better understood in the past two decades. The signaling pathways regulating pituitary growth and shape have emerged, and the balancing interactions between the pathways are now appreciated. Markers for multipotent progenitor cells are being identified, and signature transcription factors have been discovered for most hormone-producing cell types. We now realize that pulsatile hormone secretion involves a 3D integration of cellular networks. About a dozen genes are known to cause pituitary hypoplasia when mutated due to their essential roles in pituitary development. Similarly, a few genes are known that predispose to familial endocrine neoplasia, and several genes mutated in sporadic pituitary adenomas are documented. In the next decade, we anticipate gleaning a deeper appreciation of these processes at the molecular level, insight into the development of the hypophyseal portal blood system, and evolution of better therapeutics for congenital and acquired hormone deficiencies and for common craniopharyngiomas and pituitary adenomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Buffy S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Ellsworth
authors.forename: María Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Peréz Millan
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gergics
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schade
authors.forename: Nastaran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Foyouzi
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brinkmeier
authors.forename: Amanda H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Camper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010907:Pituitary Hormones
keywords: Adenohypophysis; Anterior pituitary; Neural ectoderm; Organizing center; Rathke’s pouch; Stem cell