title: Expression of Slug in S100β-protein-positive cells of postnatal developing rat anterior pituitary gland.
abstract: Among heterogeneous S100β-protein-positive (S100β-positive) cells, star-like cells with extended cytoplasmic processes, the so-called folliculo-stellate cells, envelop hormone-producing cells or interconnect homophilically in the anterior pituitary. S100β-positive cells are known, from immunohistochemistry, to emerge from postnatal day (P) 10 and to proliferate and migrate in the parenchyma of the anterior pituitary with growth. Recent establishment of S100β-GFP transgenic rats expressing specifically green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the S100β-promoter has allowed us to observe living S100β-positive cells. In the present study, we first confirmed that living S100β-positive cells in tissue cultures of S100β-GFP rat pituitary at P5 were present prior to P10 by means of confocal laser microscopy and that they proliferated and extended their cytoplasmic processes. Second, we examined the expression of the Snail-family zinc-finger transcription factors, Snail and Slug, to investigate the mechanism behind the morphological changes and the proliferation of S100β-positive cells. Interestingly, we detected Slug expression in S100β-positive cells and its increase together with development in the anterior pituitary. To analyze downstream of SLUG in S100β-positive cells, we utilized specific small interfering RNA for Slug mRNAs and observed that the expression of matrix metalloprotease (Mmp) 9, Mmp14 and chemokine Cxcl12 was down-regulated and that morphological changes and proliferation were decreased. Thus, our findings suggest that S100β-positive cells express Slug and that its expression is important for subsequent migration and proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, 476 Miyashita-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-8508, Japan. kota@ks.kyorin-u.ac.jp.|Institute of Reproduction and Endocrinology, Meiji University, Kanagawa, Japan. kota@ks.kyorin-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Histology and Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Division of Histology and Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yako
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, 476 Miyashita-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-8508, Japan.
authors.forename: Kozue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tateno
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, 476 Miyashita-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-8508, Japan.
authors.forename: Rumi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, 476 Miyashita-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-8508, Japan.
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takigami
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, 476 Miyashita-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-8508, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohsako
authors.affiliation: Division of Histology and Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yashiro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproduction and Endocrinology, Meiji University, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashi-mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan. yukato@isc.meiji.ac.jp.|Institute of Reproduction and Endocrinology, Meiji University, Kanagawa, Japan. yukato@isc.meiji.ac.jp.|Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kanagawa, Japan. yukato@isc.meiji.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D055647:Rats, Transgenic; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; C000604450:Snai2 protein, rat; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Anterior pituitary; CXCL12; Folliculo-stellate cells; Rat; S100β-protein-positive cells; SLUG