Endocrine Abstracts

In respect to growth, the adrenal is a dynamic organ that requires constant stimulation from peptides derived from the ACTH precursor pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) to maintain its tonic state. Previous studies have suggested that the adrenal mitogen resides in the N-terminus of pro-gamma-MSH, which upon cleavage results in the generation of shorter mitogenic peptides not containing the gamma-MSH sequence. This hypothesis has recently been substantiated by our characterisation of...

Annexin 1 (ANXA1, lipocortin 1), a Ca2+ and phospholipid binding protein, is a strong candidate mediator of the interplay between the immune and neuroendocrine systems. Within the neuroendocrine system ANXA1 is expressed in abundance by the non-secretory pituitary folliculo-stellate (FS) cells (1), which show characteristics of resident microglia. We have previously reported that IL-6 up-regulates ANXA1 expression in the liver in vivo and in A549 cells (lung epithelial...

The gonadotrophin hormones comprise a common alpha subunit and a hormone specific beta subunit and their expression profiles differ during pituitary ontogeny. The transcriptional regulatory cascade that is required to mediate this is largely unknown. However, perturbation of the expression of homeodomain transcription factors, Paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 1 (Pitx1) and Homeobox gene expressed in embryonic stem cells 1 (Hesx1) disparately affects gonadotrophin g...