Endocrine Abstracts

The orphan nuclear receptor, SF-1, is sumoylated in adrenal and gonadal tissues, but the role of sumoylation in pituitary gonadotrophs is currently unknown. We performed expression studies for key components of sumoylation machinery in αT3-1 and LβT2 gonadotroph cell lines, using RT-PCR. Expression of the genes encoding the SUMO proteins (Sumo1, Sumo2, Sumo3) as well as the E3 ligase enzymes responsible for their covalent linkage (Pias1, Pias2/xα, Pias...

Tyrosine availability critically influences thyroid hormone synthesis, and thyroid disorders, such as hyperthyroidism, affect 1% of humans. In contrast, nearly 10% of mature/senior cats develop hyperthyroidism, but colourpoint breeds with mutations in the tyrosinase gene (e.g. Siamese) show reduced risk of developing hyperthyroidism, potentially due to increased availability of tyrosine (related to coat colouration). To establish how tyrosine availability can alter thyroid fun...