Activated phenotype of the pituitary stem/progenitor cell compartment during the early-postnatal maturation phase of the gland

Stem Cells Dev. 2012 Mar 20;21(5):801-13. doi: 10.1089/scd.2011.0496. Epub 2011 Nov 16.

Abstract

The rodent pituitary gland undergoes prominent maturation during the first weeks after birth, including a well-known increase in hormone-producing cells. In the past, it has frequently been postulated that stem cells are involved in this early-postnatal growth phase. This hypothesis can now be explored, as pituitary stem/progenitor cells were recently identified. Here, we analyzed in detail the mouse pituitary stem/progenitor cell compartment during the first postnatal week and compared its phenotype with that at the end of the first pituitary growth wave and at adult age. Stem/progenitor cells, as assessed by both side population phenotype and Sox2 expression, are most abundant at birth and gradually decline toward adulthood. The neonatal stem/progenitor cell compartment is clearly more active in terms of proliferation, stemness gene expression, and stem cell-related functional activity including sphere formation and multipotent differentiation capacity. In situ examination of pituitary sections reveals peculiar topographical arrangements of Sox2+ cells, again more pronounced at the neonatal age. Sox2+ cells are particularly prominent at the wedge junction of the anterior and intermediate lobe, and clusters of Sox2+ cells appear to sprout from this and other cleft-lining, marginal zone regions. Colocalization of Sox2 and hormones is generally not observed, thus suggesting mutually exclusive expression. Together, the neonatal pituitary stem/progenitor cell compartment displays an activated phenotype, thus supporting its involvement in the early-postnatal maturation process of the gland.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Phenotype
  • Pituitary Gland, Anterior / cytology*
  • Pituitary Gland, Anterior / embryology
  • Pituitary Gland, Anterior / growth & development
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • SOXB1 Transcription Factors / genetics
  • SOXB1 Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Stem Cell Niche / genetics*
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • SOXB1 Transcription Factors
  • Sox2 protein, mouse