title: Gene tracing analysis reveals the contribution of neural crest-derived cells in pituitary development.
abstract: The anterior pituitary originates from the adenohypophyseal placode. Both the preplacode region and neural crest (NC) derive from subdivision of the neural border region, and further individualization of the placode domain is established by a reciprocal interaction between placodal precursors and NC cells (NCCs). It has long been known that NCCs are present in the adenohypophysis as interstitial cells. A recent report demonstrated that NCCs also contribute to the formation of pericytes in the developing pituitary. Here, we attempt to further clarify the role of NCCs in pituitary development using P0-Cre/EGFP reporter mice. Spatiotemporal analyses revealed that GFP-positive NCCs invaded the adenohypophysis in a stepwise manner. The first wave was detected on mouse embryonic day 9.5 (E9.5), when the pituitary primordium begins to be formed by adenohypophyseal placode cells; the second wave occurred on E14.5, when vasculogenesis proceeds from Atwell's recess. Finally, fate tracing of NCCs demonstrated that NC-derived cells in the adenohypophysis terminally differentiate into all hormone-producing cell lineages as well as pericytes. Our data suggest that NCCs contribute to pituitary organogenesis and vasculogenesis in conjunction with placode-derived pituitary stem/progenitor cells.
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueharu
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reproduction and Endocrinology, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Saishu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Center for Translational and Advanced Animal Research, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikkawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reproduction and Endocrinology, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reproduction and Endocrinology, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Center for Translational and Advanced Animal Research, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osumi
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.|Institute for Reproduction and Endocrinology, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.|Department of Life Science, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000254:growth & development*; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000196:embryology*
keywords: PROP1; SOX2; neural crest cell; pituitary development; stem/progenitor cell