Project description:Macrophages were identified in the pituitary gland long ago, but until recently, we lacked the resolution to comprehensively profile the pituitary gland macrophage compartment. To address this, we examined the developmental kinetics and distinctive characteristics of pituitary macrophages within the developing and homeostatic gland. Whole pituitary glands were collected from newborn (NB) to adult (8 weeks old) wild-type (WT) mice. Our analysis revealed diverse macrophage subsets with marked differences in gene expression profiles and spatial localization, undergoing dynamic phenotypic changes from neonatal stages to adulthood. We observed distinct transcriptional profiles between macrophage subpopulations in the anterior and posterior lobes, underscoring significant molecular divergences. Fate-mapping analyses showed that pituitary macrophages originate from early yolk sac precursors and persist throughout life primarily through local proliferation, even under pathophysiological conditions.
Project description:Macrophages were identified in the pituitary gland long ago, but until recently, we lacked the resolution to comprehensively profile the pituitary gland macrophage compartment. To address this, we examined the developmental kinetics and distinctive characteristics of pituitary macrophages within the developing and homeostatic gland. Whole pituitary glands were collected from newborn (NB) to adult (8 weeks old) wild-type (WT) mice. Our analysis revealed diverse macrophage subsets with marked differences in gene expression profiles and spatial localization, undergoing dynamic phenotypic changes from neonatal stages to adulthood. We observed distinct transcriptional profiles between macrophage subpopulations in the anterior and posterior lobes, underscoring significant molecular divergences. Fate-mapping analyses showed that pituitary macrophages originate from early yolk sac precursors and persist throughout life primarily through local proliferation, even under pathophysiological conditions.
Project description:Molecular characterization of the uterotrophic assay: Temporal gene expression changes in uterus and pituitary gland following ethinylestradiol
Project description:NR5A1 is expressed in the pituitary gonadotropes and regulates their functional differentiation. We have previously identified a pituitary-specific enhancer region located in the 6th intron of the Nr5a1 gene. In this study, deletion of the pituitary enhancer by genome editing abolished the expression of NR5A1 in the pituitary gland, confirming the functional importance of the enhancer. Transcriptomic changes in the enhancer-deleted mouse pituitary were revealed in both males and females.
