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Optogenetically enhanced pituitary corticotroph cell activity post-stress onset causes rapid organizing effects on behaviour.

ABSTRACT: The anterior pituitary is the major link between nervous and hormonal systems, which allow the brain to generate adequate and flexible behaviour. Here, we address its role in mediating behavioural adjustments that aid in coping with acutely threatening environments. For this we combine optogenetic manipulation of pituitary corticotroph cells in larval zebrafish with newly developed assays for measuring goal-directed actions in very short timescales. Our results reveal modulatory actions of corticotroph cell activity on locomotion, avoidance behaviours and stimulus responsiveness directly after the onset of stress. Altogether, the findings uncover the significance of endocrine pituitary cells for rapidly optimizing behaviour in local antagonistic environments.

SUBMITTER: De Marco RJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5034294 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Optogenetically enhanced pituitary corticotroph cell activity post-stress onset causes rapid organizing effects on behaviour.

De Marco Rodrigo J RJ Thiemann Theresa T Groneberg Antonia H AH Herget Ulrich U Ryu Soojin S

Nature communications 20160920

The anterior pituitary is the major link between nervous and hormonal systems, which allow the brain to generate adequate and flexible behaviour. Here, we address its role in mediating behavioural adjustments that aid in coping with acutely threatening environments. For this we combine optogenetic manipulation of pituitary corticotroph cells in larval zebrafish with newly developed assays for measuring goal-directed actions in very short timescales. Our results reveal modulatory actions of corti ...[more]

PMID: 27646867

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Project description:Stress-related illness represents a major burden on health and society. Sex differences in stress-related disorders are well documented, with women having twice the lifetime rate of depression compared to men and most anxiety disorders. Anterior pituitary corticotrophs are central components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, receiving input from hypothalamic neuropeptides corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), while regulating glucocorticoid output from the adrenal cortex. The dynamic control of electrical excitability by CRH/AVP and glucocorticoids is critical for corticotroph function; however, whether corticotrophs contribute to sexually differential responses of the HPA axis, which might underlie differences in stress-related disorders, is very poorly understood. Using perforated patch clamp electrophysiology in corticotrophs from mice expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of the Pomc promoter, we characterized basal and secretagogue-evoked excitability. Both male and female corticotrophs show predominantly single-spike action potentials under basal conditions; however, males predominantly display spikes with small-amplitude (<20 mV) afterhyperpolarizations (B-type), whereas females displayed a mixture of B-type spikes and spikes with a large-amplitude (>25 mV) afterhyperpolarization (A-type). In response to CRH, or CRH/AVP, male cells almost exclusively transition to a predominantly pseudo-plateau bursting, whereas only female B-type cells display bursting in response to CRH±AVP. Treatment of male or female corticotrophs with 1 nM estradiol (E2) for 24-72 h has no effect on the proportion of cells with A- or B-type spikes in either sex. However, E2 results in the cessation of CRH-induced bursting in both male and female corticotrophs, which can be partially reversed by adding a BK current using a dynamic clamp. RNA-seq analysis of purified corticotrophs reveals extensive differential gene expression at the transcriptional level, including more than 71 mRNAs encoding ion channel subunits. Interestingly, there is a two-fold lower level (p < 0.01) of BK channel pore-forming subunit (Kcnma1) expression in females compared to males, which may partially explain the decrease in CRH-induced bursting. This study identified sex differences at the level of the anterior pituitary corticotroph ion channel landscape and control of both spontaneous and CRH-evoked excitability. Determining the mechanisms of sex differences of corticotroph and HPA activity at the cellular level could be an important step for better understanding, diagnosing, and treating stress-related disorders.

Project description:Objective: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been found to localize in several human neoplasms and has been shown to have a significant correlation with adenomaigenesis and patient prognosis. EGFR is also overexpressed in pituitary corticotroph adenomas. However, its clinical significance and relationship with tumor behavior, especially tumor recurrence status, remain obscure. The purpose of the present study was to identify the expression patterns of EGFR and its downstream signaling pathway molecules in pituitary corticotroph adenomas and to investigate the association of EGFR with clinicopathological characteristics and tumor recurrence. Methods: Fifty-two sporadic pituitary adenoma specimens and six normal pituitary glands were collected. The expression levels of EGFR and its downstream signaling molecules in each sample were evaluated and quantified using immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The relationships of EGFR expression with clinicopathological characteristics and tumor recurrence status were analyzed. Results: EGFR was overexpressed in 55.8% of the pituitary corticotroph adenomas and in 1 of 6 of the normal adenohypophysial tissues. The expression degree was significantly higher in pituitary corticotroph adenomas than in normal adenohypophysial tissues. In EGFR-overexpressing adenomas, the downstream pathway phosphorylated Erk (p-Erk) was also significantly activated. Moreover, the expression levels of EGFR were positively correlated with the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels but were not correlated with age, sex or symptom duration. The expression levels of EGFR, phosphorylated EGFR (p-EGFR) and p-Erk were significantly up-regulated in the recurrent adenoma group compared with those in the non-recurrent adenoma group (all p < 0.05). The expression levels of EGFR were strongly correlated with the recurrence-free interval (p = 0.005, CC = -0.31). Conclusion: The expression levels of EGFR and its downstream pathway components were significantly increased in pituitary corticotroph adenomas compared to the levels in normal adenohypophysial tissues. EGFR expression levels were positively associated with the ACTH and cortisol levels and with tumor recurrence status. Pituitary corticotroph adenomas with high EGFR expression levels were correlated with an increased recurrence rate and a decreased recurrence-free interval. EGFR could be used as a promising biomarker for predicting pituitary corticotroph tumor recurrence.

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Optogenetically enhanced pituitary corticotroph cell activity post-stress onset causes rapid organizing effects on behaviour.

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Optogenetically enhanced pituitary corticotroph cell activity post-stress onset causes rapid organizing effects on behaviour.

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