help button home button Endocrine Society JCEM
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Danila, D. C.
Right arrow Articles by Klibanski, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Danila, D. C.
Right arrow Articles by Klibanski, A.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 85, No. 3 1180-1187
Copyright © 2000 by The Endocrine Society


Original Studies

A Human Pituitary Tumor-Derived Folliculostellate Cell Line1

Daniel C. Danila, Xun Zhang, Yunli Zhou, G. Richard Dickersin, Jonathan A. Fletcher, E. Tessa Hedley-Whyte, Martin K. Selig, Stacey R. Johnson and Anne Klibanski

Neuroendocrine Unit (D.C.D., X.Z., Y.Z., S.R.J., A.K.) and the Department of Pathology (G.R.D., M.K.S., E.T.H.-W.), Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School (J.A.F.), Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Anne Klibanski, M.D., Neuroendocrine Unit, Bulfinch 457, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114. E-mail: aklibanski{at}partners.org


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Pituitary cells have been used for the study of hormone synthesis, secretion, and regulation. However, the lack of human cell lines of pituitary origin has made such studies in humans very difficult. Activin, a member of the transforming growth factor-ß cytokine family, is secreted by the pituitary and serves, in addition to regulating hormone biosynthesis, as a regulator of cell growth and differentiation. In the human pituitary, folliculo-stellate cells secrete an activin-binding and -neutralizing protein, follistatin. However, the role of these cells in the autocrine/paracrine regulatory mechanisms of activin is poorly understood. We describe a human pituitary-derived folliculostellate cell line, designated PDFS, that was developed spontaneously from a clinically nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma. PDFS cells showed an epithelial-like morphology with long cytoplasmic processes. Electron microscopy revealed frequent intercellular junctions, including desmosomes, and cytogenetic analysis showed clonal characteristics with chromosomal abnormalities. These cells express vimentin and the nervous tissue-specific S-100 protein, specific markers of folliculostellate cells in the anterior pituitary, but no secretory pituitary cell markers. PDFS cells formed large colonies in an anchorage-independent transformation assay. They express follistatin and activin A and have an intact activin intracellular signaling pathway as determined by reporter assays. Therefore, this human cell line provides a useful model for studying the regulation of cell growth and cytokine production by factors endogenously produced in pituitary folliculostellate cells.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
IN VITRO STUDIES of human pituitary tumors using short term primary cell culture have contributed significantly to our understanding of pituitary hormone regulation and pathogenesis. However, because primary cultures represent a heterogeneous population of cells (1, 2) with limited viability and progressive loss of differentiated functions (3, 4, 5), the lack of human cell lines of pituitary lineage has made such studies problematic. There have been numerous attempts to develop human pituitary cell lines of homogeneous, well characterized cell populations. Recently, human lines originating from anterior pituitary secretory cells that apparently developed spontaneously (6) or that were immortalized using a temperature-sensitive mutant of simian virus 40 large T antigen (7) have been described. These human epithelial-like endocrine tumor cells could provide models for the studies of cell proliferation and regulation of hormonal secretion.

The anterior pituitary is composed of two different cell types, secretory cells and folliculostellate cells. It has been suggested that the folliculostellate cells, derived from neuroectoderm, modulate secretory cell functions by intercellular communication in a paracrine manner (8, 9). In the normal pituitary, folliculostellate cells express and secrete follistatin, which can bind and neutralize activin and, therefore, regulate FSH biosynthesis and secretion indirectly (10, 11). Recent data suggest that most circulating follistatin is bound to activin, and only the locally produced follistatin has functional significance in the regulation of activin-induced hormone secretion and proliferative responses (12). It has been demonstrated that folliculostellate cells also produce lipocortin-1 (13), a key inhibitory mediator of glucocorticoids on corticotropin secretion, at both the hypothalamic and pituitary levels (14, 15). The regulatory interactions between folliculostellate and lactotroph cells (16, 17, 18, 19) and the role of folliculostellate cells in immune system modulation (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) have also been reported. In the pituitary, it has been shown that a subset of pituitary adenomas has significant numbers of folliculostellate cells (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30), and furthermore, pituitary tumors consisting only of folliculostellate cells have been described (29).

We describe here a spontaneously transformed human cell line, PDFS, of folliculostellate origin, derived from a pituitary gonadotroph adenoma. The transformation and immortalization of this cell line are possibly due to the mutation of p53. It expresses follistatin and activin A, important peptides in the autocrine/paracrine regulatory mechanisms of normal and neoplastic pituitary, and retains an intact activin-mediated signal transduction pathway, as determined by reporter assays. Therefore, this cell line may provide a useful model for the study of regulation of cell growth and hormone production by factors endogenously expressed in the normal and neoplastic human pituitary as well as human neoplastic cell transformation.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Establishment of primary pituitary tumor culture

Tumor fragments from a 71-yr-old man with a clinically nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma were obtained in saline solution after transsphenoidal surgery. A portion of the resected tumor was embedded in paraffin for histological examination, which showed cells immunoreactive for {alpha}- and ß-subunits of LH and FSH, consistent with a pituitary adenoma of gonadotroph origin. Another fragment was enzymatically dispersed as previously described (31) and cells were maintained in DMEM supplemented with 10% FCS, 0.1% insulin/transferrin/selenium, 1% nonessential amino acids, and antibiotics. After several days, a distinct focus of nonfibroblastic cells had formed in one of the culture dishes. This cell clone was isolated using a cloning ring, trypsinized, and replated in medium as described above. The cells have been maintained in culture for over 1 yr and in excess of 70 passages.

Chromosomal analysis

Metaphase cells were obtained by exposing cultured cells to Colcemid (Life Technologies, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD) for 1 h. Metaphase harvesting conditions, slide making, and trypsin-Giemsa chromosome banding were previously described (32). Twenty metaphase cells were analyzed, and clonal aberrations were specified according to the 1995 International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature (33).

Electron microscopy

Cultured cells were fixed with Karnovsky II fixative (2.5% glutaraldehyde, 2% paraformaldehyde, and 0.025% calcium chloride in 0.1 mol/L sodium cacodylate buffer, pH 7.4), postfixed with osmium tetroxide, en bloc stained with uranyl acetate, dehydrated through a graded ethanol series, infiltrated with 100% ethanol and epoxy resin mixture, and embedded in pure epoxy. After polymerization, the cell layer was removed from the petri dish and reembedded, so that 1-µm thick cross sections of the cells could be cut and stained with toluidine blue. Representative areas were chosen for thin sectioning by light microscopy. Thin sections were cut, stained with lead citrate, and examined with a Philips 301A electron microscope (Philips Electronic Instruments, Rahway, NJ).

Cell growth and transformation assay

PDFS cells were plated into 6-well plates at a density of 5000 cells/well in medium containing 0.2%, 5%, and 10% FCS. Cells in triplicate wells were harvested every day, and counted in a Coulter counter (Coulter Electronics, Hialeah, FL), and cell doubling time was calculated as previously described (34).

The transforming ability of PDFS cells was tested in an anchorage-independent growth assay on soft agar as previously described (35, 36). Two milliliters of 0.5% soft agar were added to 6-well plates. Ten thousand cells were mixed with 1 mL 0.3% soft agar and added to each well. Cells were incubated for 2 weeks before colonies of 60 or more cells were counted and photographed. Human osteosarcoma U2OS and fibroblast HS27 cells were used as positive and negative controls, respectively.

RT-PCR

Total ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from 5 x 105 cultured PDFS cells or 100 mg normal pituitary tissue with Trizol reagent (Life Technologies, Inc.), and RT-PCR was performed as previously described (37). We used the following sets of primers, described in 5'-3' sequence and with the expected product size in parentheses: vimentin, gcaggactcggtggacttctc and ggcagccacactttcatattg (603 bp); and activin A, ctgaacgcgatcagaaagctt and tcctccacgatcatgttctg (1015 bp). All other primers were described previously (2, 38). Reactions were preformed in the presence of [{alpha}-32P]deoxy-CTP (100 nCi/reaction), and products were resolved by electrophoresis on 6% nondenaturing TBE/polyacrylamide gel (Protogel, National Diagnostics, Atlanta, GA) and visualized by autoradiography on Kodak X-Omat film (Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY) for 4 h. The PCR products were sequenced to confirm identities.

Western blotting

Immunoblotting for p16ink4a, p53, and Rb protein expression in PDFS cells was performed as previously described (39). The cellular proteins were extracted in RIPA buffer [150 mmol/L NaCl, 50 mmol/L Tris (pH 7.4), 1 mmol/L ethylenediamine tetraacetate, 1% Nonidet P-40, and 0.25% sodium deoxycholate] containing 1 mmol/L phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride, and 1 µg/ml aprotinin and leupeptin. The homogenates were centrifuged, and the protein concentration in each sample was determined by Bradford assay (Sigma, St. Louis, MO). Twenty micrograms of total cellular proteins were resolved by 10% SDS-PAGE, and then electroblotted onto polyvinylidene difluoride filters (Millipore Corp., Bedford, MA). Filters were probed with specific primary antibodies, anti-Rb (G3–245, PharMingen, San Diego, CA), anti-p53 (FL-393, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA), and anti-p16ink4a (DCS-50.1, NeoMarker, Fremont, CA). The blots were processed by a chemiluminescence-based enhanced chemiluminescence Western blotting detection system (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Piscataway, NJ) according to the manufacturer’s instruction.

Immunocytochemistry

Immunostaining of tumor and cultured cells was carried out as previously described (40). Antibodies against the anterior pituitary hormones, vimentin (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc.), the folliculostellate specific marker S-100 (DAKO Corp., High Wycombe, UK), and follistatin (National Hormone and Pituitary Program, Torrance, CA) were used as primary antibodies. All antisera were used at the manufacturer’s suggested concentrations and were visualized using an indirect immunoperoxidase procedure with Vectastatin Elite ABC kit (Vector Laboratories, Inc., Burlingame, CA). Controls included substitution of nonimmune serum for primary antibody, elimination of secondary antibody, or streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complexes. Immunostaining for p53 wild-type (wt) and mutant proteins was preformed as described above, except that cells were fixed in acetone-methanol (1:1 ratio), and incubated with 0.03% H2O2 in methanol. The primary anti-p53 antibodies used were PAb1801 (which recognizes both wt and mutated p53) (41) and PAb240 (specific for the mutated p53; NeoMarker) (42).

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of activin A in conditioned medium

Cells (106) were plated in 100-mm cell culture dishes with 10 mL culture medium. After 48 h, the culture medium was collected as conditioned medium, and the activin A concentration was measured using an activin A assay kit (Serotec, Oxford, UK), according to the manufacturer’s protocol.

Cell transfection and luciferase assay

Mink lung L17 cells were transiently transfected using Lipofectamine (Life Technologies, Inc.) as previously described (39). Cells were plated in six-well plates at a density of 2 x 105 cells/well and transfected in triplicate with 1 µg/well wt activin receptor IB (Act-RIB) inserted under the control of the cytomegalovirus promoter in the pCI/Neo expression vector (Promega Corp., Madison, WI), pCI-Act-RIB (wt), and 1 µg/well p3TPlux reporter, in which a luciferase gene is under the control of an activin-responsive element-containing promoter (provided by Dr. Joan Massagué) (43). As an internal control, 0.2 µg/well pRSV-lacZ was included in each experiment. After 4-h incubation at 37 C, the culture medium was replaced with fresh medium, and 500 µL PDFS-conditioned medium or 50 ng human recombinant activin A (National Hormone and Pituitary Program) were added to each well. After an additional 24-h incubation, cells were harvested, the luciferase activity was measured, and results were normalized to ß-galactosidase activity. PDFS cells were similarly transiently transfected with pCI-Act-RIB (wt) or pCI-Act-RIB ({Delta}c), which expresses a truncated form of Act-RIB lacking the intracellular domain (provided by Dr. Wylie Vale) (44), and p3TPlux. To quantitate the luciferase activity in this model, we transfected in parallel L17 cells with pCI-Act-RIB (wt) and p3TPlux, and then treated them with 10 ng/mL activin A. Cells were harvested after 24-h incubation in fresh medium, and the activities of luciferase and ß-galactosidase were measured. Each experiment was repeated twice, and statistical significance was tested by Student’s t test using SigmaPlot.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Characterization of PDFS cells

The PDFS cell line was spontaneously transformed from the primary culture of a clinically nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma. It showed an epithelial-like morphology with large nuclei and abundant cytoplasm, with long cytoplasmic processes (Fig. 1AGo). Hematoxylin/eosin staining shows that PDFS cells have notable pleomorphism, with multiple nucleoli and numerous mitotic figures (Fig. 1BGo). Electron microscopy of the cultured cells revealed them to be tightly opposed in clusters and to have frequent intercellular junctions, including desmosomes (Fig. 1CGo). Free cell surfaces were raised into multiple filopodia. Nuclei were euchromatic and contained prominent and multiple nucleoli. The cytoplasm contained innumerable free ribosomes, many mitochondria, and a few cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Some cells contained many primary and secondary lysosomes. There was no evidence of secretory granules, including dense core type, suggesting that it did not originate from hormone-secreting cells. Filaments were sparse and present in only a few cells.



View larger version (139K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 1. The morphology of PDFS cells. A, Phase contrast micrograph of PDFS cells in monolayer culture. Note the long cytoplasmic processes formed by cells in monolayer (magnification, x100). B, Hematoxylin- and eosin-stained PDFS cells showing pleomorphism, coarse chromatin, multiple nucleoli, and numerous mitotic figures (magnification, x400). C, Electron micrograph of a group of PDFS cells showing many primary and secondary lysosomes (arrows), intercellular junctions (arrowheads), and filopodia along the cells free surfaces projecting into the open space (OS; original magnification, x6600). Inset, A desmosome at high magnification (x62,000). D, Immunohistochemistry staining for vimentin of PDFS cells showing that the individual cells express vimentin in their cytoplasm (counterstained with hematoxylin; magnification, x400).

 
Cytogenetic analysis revealed that all cells were hyperdiploid as a result of multiple clonal trisomies and tetrasomies. Structural clonal aberrations were present, including rearrangements of a chromosome X short arm, chromosome 1 long arm, and chromosome 7 short arm. The karyotype was 60, add(X)(p22), -Y, +1, add(1)(q32)x2, +2, +2, +5, +6, +7, add(7)(p22)x2, +10, +10, +12, +16, +17, +17, +18, +19, +22.

PDFS cells showed no expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding Pit-1 or any of the anterior pituitary hormones (data not shown), as determined by RT-PCR. We therefore investigated whether the PDFS cell line was of folliculostellate origin using specific folliculostellate markers. Immunocytochemistry showed that the PDFS cells express vimentin, a component of the intermediary filaments, in the cytoplasm (Fig. 1DGo). The S-100 protein, a folliculo- stellate-specific marker in the context of pituitary, is expressed in PDFS cells, as shown by immunocytochemistry in Fig. 2Go. The PDFS cells specifically stained positively for S-100 (Fig. 2AGo), as confirmed by substitution of the primary antibody against S-100 with nonimmune serum (Fig. 2BGo). In Fig. 2Go, C and D, respectively, the S-100-positive breast cancer cell line MDA-MB 231 (45) and the S-100-negative pituitary secretory-cell derived line CHP2 (7) were used as controls.



View larger version (100K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 2. Immunocytochemistry for S-100 protein. A, PDFS cells; B, PDFS cells, primary antibody against S-100 was replaced with nonimmune serum; C, S-100-positive breast cancer cell line MDA-MB; D, S-100-negative human anterior pituitary secretory cell-derived line CHP2.

 
Growth characteristics and transforming ability

The growth of PDFS cells was serum dependent. Decreasing concentrations of FCS in the medium to 0.2% resulted in cell death. There were no significant differences in cellular proliferation between concentrations of 5% and 10% serum. The doubling time of the cells was 23.8 h.

The transforming ability of these cells was tested in an anchorage-independent growth assay. We found that PDFS cells formed colonies in soft agar (Fig. 3AGo), similar to the human carcinoma cell line U2OS (Fig. 3BGo), whereas the human fibroblast cells, used as a negative control, failed to form colonies (Fig. 3CGo). From 104 PDFS cells, 942 ± 177 colonies were formed in 2 weeks (mean ± SEM).



View larger version (70K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 3. Transformation assay. After 2 weeks, PDFS cells formed colonies on soft agar (A; original magnification, x40; inset, a single PDFS colony at magnification of x100). In the same experiment, human osteosarcoma U2OS cells formed numerous colonies (B; magnification, x40), whereas human fibroblast HS27 cells failed to form colonies (C; magnification, x40).

 
Tumor suppressor genes in PDFS cells

To understand the potential mechanism underlying immortalization of this cell line, we investigated the tumor suppressor genes p16ink4a, Rb, and p53 status in PDFS cells. The PDFS cells express p16ink4a protein (Fig. 4AGo, lane 1), as determined by Western blotting. Rb protein was detected in PDFS cells and displayed the correct size and a normal phosphorylation pattern compared to that in control cells (Fig. 4BGo).



View larger version (65K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 4. Western blots of tumor suppressor protein p16ink4a, Rb, and p53 in PDFS cells. A, p16ink4a: lane 1, PDFS cells; lane 2, human breast carcinoma MCF 7 cells (p16 null); lane 3, human osteosarcoma Saos2 cells (wt p16). B, Rb: lane 1, PDFS cells; lane 2, human osteosarcoma Saos2 cells (Rb null); lane 3, human fibroblast HS27 cells (wt Rb). C, p53: lane 1, PDFS cells; lane 2, human breast carcinoma T47D cells (mutant p53); lane 3, human osteosarcoma Saos2 cells (p53 null); lane 4, human fibroblast HS27 cells (wt p53).

 
Western blotting with anti-p53 antibody showed very strong expression in PDFS cells (Fig. 4CGo, lane 1), similar to that in T47D cells, a human breast carcinoma cell line known to express mutant p53 (lane 2) (46). The expression of p53 in PDFS cells was stronger than the expression detected in normal human fibroblast HS 27 cells (lane 4). We further studied p53 expression in PDFS cells by immunostaining with PAb 240 antibody, which specifically recognizes mutated p53 (Fig. 5Go, right panels), and comparing it with PAb1801 antibody, which recognize both wt and mutant p53 (Fig. 5Go, left panels). The PDFS cells stained positively with both PAb1801 and PAb 240 antibodies (Fig. 5AGo), whereas the wt control MCF-7 cells (47) stained positively only with PAb1801 (Fig. 5CGo). The T47D cells also stained positively with both anti-p53 antibodies (Fig. 5BGo), whereas the osteosarcoma Saos2 cells, p53 null (48), did not stain with any antibody (Fig. 5DGo).



View larger version (102K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 5. Immunocytochemistry for mutant p53 protein in PDFS cells. Left panel, Immunostaining with control antibody PAb1801, which recognizes both wt and mutant p53. Right panels, Immunostaining with PAb240 antibody, which recognizes mutant p53. A, PDFS cells; B, human breast carcinoma T47D cells (mutant p53); C, human breast carcinomas MCF-7 cells (wt p53); D, human osteosarcoma Saos2 cells (p53 null).

 
Follistatin, activin A, and activin receptor mRNA expression by PDFS cells

We studied the expression of follistatin, activin, and its receptor in PDFS cells. Using RT-PCR, we found that PDFS cells express follistatin mRNA (Fig. 6AGo). The cells also express mRNA for ßA-subunit of activin/inhibin (Fig. 6BGo), suggesting that these cells may produce the ßA-homodimeric activin A. This result was further confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which measured 50 ng/mL activin A protein secreted over 48 h by 106 PDFS cells in 10 mL culture medium. RT-PCR also detected mRNA for Act-RIB (Fig. 6CGo), and Act-RIIB (Fig. 6DGo) in PDFS cells.



View larger version (67K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 6. Follistatin, activin A, and activin receptor mRNA expression in PDFS cells and three normal pituitary specimens by RT-PCR. A, Follistatin; B, ßA-subunit of activin; C, Act-RIB; D, Act-RIIB.

 
To evaluate the bioactivity of secreted activin A, PDFS-conditioned medium was added to L17 cells to test the induction of activin-responsive luciferase reporter activity in transient transfection experiments with cotransfection of an Act-RIB expression vector. As shown in Fig. 7AGo, PDFS-conditioned medium caused a 3-fold increase in luciferase activity from p3TPlux reporter compared to regular medium, an effect comparable to that of 50 ng/mL recombinant activin. The increase in reporter activity was activin signaling pathway specific, as the conditioned medium did not stimulate the reporter in the absence of Act-RIB.



View larger version (22K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 7. A, Effects of PDFS-conditioned medium (CM) on 3TPLux reporter activity in L17 cells. Cells (2 x 105) were transfected with 3TPLux in the presence (filled bars) or absence (open bars) of Act-RIB, then cells were incubated in presence of 0.5 mL PDFS CM or 50 ng human recombinant activin A. Significant induction of luciferase activity was observed only in the presence of Act-RIB (*, P < 0.001). B, p3TPLux reporter activity in PDFS cells (filled bars). Cotransfection with wt Act-RIB further enhances the reporter activity, whereas cotransfection of truncated Act-RIB ({Delta}c) decreases reporter activity [*, P = 0.0001; **, P = 0.0003 (compared to p3TPLux transfection alone)]. In parallel, L17 cells (open bars) were transfected with p3TPLux and pCI-Act-RIB wt, and treated with 10 ng/mL activin A (***, P = 0.001, compared to L17 cells that were not treated with activin A). Results are presented as relative light units of luciferase activity.

 
To test whether the activin signaling pathway is functional in PDFS cells, p3TPlux alone was transfected into PDFS cells. Luciferase expression was higher than that observed in L17 cells expressing Act-RIB receptor and treated with 10 ng/mL activin A in parallel experiments (Fig. 7BGo). This activin-induced activation in the PDFS cells is probably due to the presence of endogenous functional activin receptors and the autocrine/paracrine effects of secreted activin A. Cotransfection of p3TPlux with full-length Act-RIB in PDFS cells further enhanced the luciferase activity, whereas cotransfection with the truncated Act-RIB ({Delta}c) significantly decreased the reporter activity (P < 0.001; Fig. 7BGo).


    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
We have developed and characterized a transformed human folliculostellate cell line, derived from a pituitary gonadotroph adenoma. Multiple lines of evidence lead us to conclude that this transformed cell line is of folliculostellate origin. It expresses the specific markers of folliculostellate cells, vimentin (49) and S-100 (50, 51). In addition, the desmosomes described by electron microscopy are consistent with the ultrastructural features of folliculostellate cells (52, 53). This is the first human pituitary-derived folliculostellate cell line and is an important first step in the investigation of autocrine/paracrine effects in the human pituitary.

The study of the growth rate of the PDFS cell line revealed a doubling time of 24 h, similar to that of most established human carcinoma cell lines. In an anchorage-independent transformation assay, PDFS cells formed large colonies in soft agar, indicating that the cells had undergone malignant transformation. Cell transformation is usually caused by oncogene activation (54) or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (55, 56, 57). One of the most frequent functionally inactivated tumor suppressor genes in human cancers is Rb, which controls progression from G1 to S phases in normal cycling cells by regulating the transcription of E2F-responsive genes (58). Another frequently mutated tumor suppressor gene is p53, which promotes growth arrest and apoptosis in response to cellular stresses in a transcription-specific manner that may correlate with the functional status of Rb (59). In cells expressing functional Rb, p53 induces G1 arrest by induction of cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitors, whereas in cells lacking functional Rb, p53 induces apoptosis. Either of the above will inhibit neoplastic cell development. Hyperphosphorylation of Rb by G1 cdk, mainly cdk4 or cdk6, neutralizes its tumor-suppressing function. The kinase activity of cdk4/6 is inhibited by an ink family of cdk inhibitors, such as p16ink4a (60), resulting in Rb activation. Therefore, the inactivation of Rb, a result of mutation or the lack of functional p16ink4a expression, leads to uncontrolled cell growth and immortalization. Although in many human tumors the inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes Rb, p53, and p16ink4a has been found from the early stages (60, 61), mutations of these genes have not been commonly found in human pituitary adenomas (62). However, it has been demonstrated that these tumor suppressor genes are frequently mutated during establishment of various cell lines. Therefore, we studied the status of these most frequently inactivated tumor suppressor genes in PDFS cells. Although p16ink4a and Rb expressions were normal, the p53 appeared mutated in PDFS cells. This is probably a point mutation, because the protein size of p53 is not altered and the nuclear localization is preserved, as illustrated by Western blotting and cellular immunostaining. However, the mutation caused protein conformation changes in p53, which are recognized by PAb240, a mutant p53-specific antibody. In addition, the interaction with mdm2 protein, which is required for ubiqitin-mediated degradation of p53, may be altered in this cell line, resulting in its accumulation within the cell (63, 64). This may explain the high level of p53 expression in PDFS cells, similar to that found in mutant p53-expressing T47D cells. Only weak p53 expression was detected in HS-27 cells due to the very short half-life of wt p53 in nonstress conditions (65). It has been reported that p53 is prone to inactivation during cell line establishment. For example, all spontaneously immortalized cell lines derived from mouse embryonic fibroblasts contain p53 mutations (66). Therefore, it is possible that a p53 mutation was generated during the culture establishment of the PDFS cell line and helped its immortalization and transformation. However, it is unlikely to be related to formation of the original pituitary adenoma.

Due to the patient’s sex, we were unable to confirm whether the cell line was monoclonal in origin by X-linked inactivation. However, the cytogenetic analysis revealed that all cells were hyperdiploid as a result of multiple clonal trisomies and tetrasomies. Other clonal aberrations included rearrangements of a chromosome X short arm, chromosome 1 long arm, and chromosome 7 short arm. There are few published pituitary adenoma karyotypes. Rey et al. reported a GH-secreting adenoma karyotype with 58 chromosomes and clonal aberrations, primarily numerical (chromosome gains) rather than structural in nature, similar to those found in PDFS cells (67). Recent data suggest that genetic abnormalities in pituitary adenomas often involve several chromosomes, which may inactivate a tumor suppressor gene or activate an oncogene that is important in the initiation or progression of sporadic pituitary adenomas (68).

Activin and other members of the transforming growth factor-ß family of cytokines function as both growth and differentiation factors in a variety of cell types (69). Follistatin, a glycosylated monomeric protein that binds to activin, was originally discovered from ovarian follicular fluid as a suppressor of FSH secretion (70) and later was identified as a widely distributed activin-binding and -neutralizing protein, suggesting its regulatory effects in different activin-mediated actions (71, 72, 73, 74). It has been shown that in the normal human pituitary, follistatin is readily expressed in gonadotropes and folliculostellate cells (75). Locally secreted activin in the normal pituitary is a potent factor in controlling hormone biosynthesis and secretion (76, 77, 78). Activin also influences the proliferation of a number of normal and neoplastic human cell types, and the relative amounts of locally secreted activin, inhibin, and follistatin may control normal cellular proliferation (2, 79). However, the functional interaction between activin and follistatin and the physiological significance of this interaction are poorly understood. Our PDFS cell line provides a novel model to study such interactions in regard to hormone secretion and cell growth. Our data indicate that PDFS cells secrete biologically active activin A, express functional activin receptor types I and II, and retain an intact activin-mediated signal transduction pathway as determined by reporter assays. Therefore, this cell line could also be very useful for studying the molecular events underlying the regulation of cell proliferation by activin.

In conclusion, we report the first transformed human folliculostellate cell line, derived from a gonadotroph adenoma of the pituitary. This line expresses activin and follistatin, important proteins in the autocrine/paracrine regulation of anterior pituitary cells, and may serve as a model system to elucidate further the mechanisms of growth factor regulation in normal and neoplastic human pituitary.


    Acknowledgments
 
We thank Dr. Joan Massagué (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY) who generously provided the L17 cell line and p3TPlux construct, Dr. A. F. Parlow (National Hormone and Pituitary Program, Torrence, CA) who kindly provided the recombinant human activin A, and Dr. Wylie Vale (The Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA) who provided the Act-RIB {Delta}c construct. We are grateful to Dr. Jack Ham (Department of Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK) who provided the CHP2 cell line.


    Footnotes
 
1 This work was supported in part by NIH Grants R01-DK-40947 and P32-DK-07028, and the Jarislowsky Foundation. Back

Received August 18, 1999.

Revised November 4, 1999.

Accepted November 12, 1999.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

  1. Alexander JM, Jameson JL, Bikkal HA, Schwall RH, Klibanski A. 1991 The effects of activin on follicle-stimulating hormone secretion and biosynthesis in human glycoprotein hormone-producing pituitary adenomas. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 72:1261–1267.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  2. Alexander JM, Swearingen B, Tindall GT, Klibanski A. 1995 Human pituitary adenomas express endogenous inhibin subunit and follistatin messenger ribonucleic acids. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 80:147–152.[Abstract]
  3. Dufy-Barbe L, Corcuff JB, Sartor P, Guerin J, Dufy B. Neuropeptide expression in human pituitary cell lines [Abstract T-27]. Proc of the 2nd Int Pituitary Congr. 1989.
  4. Prysor-Jones RA, Silverlight JJ, Jenkins JS. 1989 Oestradiol, vasoactive intestinal peptide and fibroblast growth factor in the growth of human pituitary tumour cells in vitro. J Endocrinol. 120:171–177.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  5. Tougard C, Tixier-Vidal A. 1988 Lactotrophs and gonadotrophs. In: Knobil E, Neill JD, eds. Physiology of reproduction, chapt 30. New York: Raven Press; 1305–1333.
  6. Chomczynski P, Sosynski PA, Frohman LA. 1993 Stimulatory effect of thyroid hormone on growth hormone gene expression in a human pituitary cell line. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 77:281–285.[Abstract]
  7. Ham J, Webster J, Bond JA, et al. 1998 Immortalized human pituitary cells express glycoprotein alpha-subunit and thyrotropin beta (TSH beta). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 83:1598–603.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  8. Baes M, Denef C. 1987 Evidence that stimulation of growth hormone release by epinephrine and vasoactive intestinal peptide is based on cell-to-cell communication in the pituitary. Endocrinology. 120:280–290.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  9. Soji T, Mabuchi Y, Kurono C, Herbert DC. 1997 Folliculo-stellate cells and intercellular communication within the rat anterior pituitary gland. Microsc Res Technol. 39:138–149.[CrossRef][Medline]
  10. Gospodarowicz D, Lau K. 1989 Pituitary follicular cells secrete both vascular endothelial growth factor and follistatin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 165:292–298.[CrossRef][Medline]
  11. Kaiser UB, Lee BL, Carroll RS, Unabia G, Chin WW, Childs GV. 1992 Follistatin gene expression in the pituitary: localization in gonadotropes and folliculostellate cells in diestrous rats. Endocrinology. 130:3048–3056.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  12. McConnell DS, Wang Q, Sluss PM, et al. 1998 A two-site chemiluminescent assay for activin-free follistatin reveals that most follistatin circulating in men and normal cycling women is in an activin-bound state. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 83:851–858.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  13. Johnson MD, Gray ME, Pepinsky RB, Stahlman MT. 1990 Lipocortin-1 immunoreactivity in the human pituitary gland. J Histochem Cytochem. 38:1841–1845.[Abstract]
  14. Jessop DS. 1999 Central non-glucocorticoid inhibitors of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. J Endocrinol. 160:169–180.[CrossRef][Medline]
  15. Loxley HD, Cowell AM, Flower RJ, Buckingham JC. 1993 Modulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary adrenocortical response to cytokines in the rat by lipocortin 1 and glucocorticoids: a role for lipocortin 1 in the feedback inhibition of CRF-41 release? Neuroendocrinology. 57:801–813.[Medline]
  16. Lach B, Rippstein P, Benott BG, Staines W. 1996 Differentiating neuroblastoma of pituitary gland: neuroblastic transformation of epithelial adenoma cells. Case report. J Neurosurg. 85:953–960.[Medline]
  17. Lloyd RV, Jin L, Fields K, Kulig E. 1990 Regulation of prolactin gene expression in a DMBA-estrogen-induced transplantable rat pituitary tumor. Am J Pathol. 137:1525–1537.[Abstract]
  18. Mitchner NA, Garlick C, Ben-Jonathan N. 1998 Cellular distribution and gene regulation of estrogen receptors {alpha} and ß in the rat pituitary gland. Endocrinology. 139:3976–3983.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  19. Sbarbati A, Fakhreddine A, Zancanaro C, Bontempini L, Cinti S. 1991 Ultrastructural morphology of folliculo-stellate cells in human pituitary adenomas. Ultrastruct Pathol. 15:241–248.[Medline]
  20. Kobayashi H, Fukata J, Murakami N, et al. 1997 Tumor necrosis factor receptors in the pituitary cells. Brain Res. 758:45–50.[CrossRef][Medline]
  21. Renner U, Gloddek J, Pereda MP, Arzt E, Stalla GK. 1998 Regulation and role of intrapituitary IL-6 production by folliculostellate cells. Dom Anim Endocrinol. 15:353–362.[CrossRef][Medline]
  22. Renner U, Gloddek J, Arzt E, Inoue K, Stalla GK. 1997 Interleukin-6 is an autocrine growth factor for folliculostellate-like TtT/GF mouse pituitary tumor cells. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 105:345–352.[Medline]
  23. Vankelecom H, Matthys P, Van Damme J, Heremans H, Billiau A, Denef C. 1993 Immunocytochemical evidence that S-100-positive cells of the mouse anterior pituitary contain interleukin-6 immunoreactivity. J Histochem Cytochem. 41:151–156.[Abstract]
  24. Suzui H, Takahashi JA, Fukumoto M, et al. 1994 Immunohistochemical study for basic fibroblast growth factor and fibroblast growth factor receptor I in pituitary adenomas. Neurosci Lett. 171:192–196.[CrossRef][Medline]
  25. Voit D, Saeger W, Ludecke DK. 1999 Folliculo-stellate cells in pituitary adenomas of patients with acromegaly. Pathol Res Pract. 195:143–147.[Medline]
  26. Velasco ME, Roessmann U, Gambetti P. 1982 The presence of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the human pituitary gland. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 41:150–163.[Medline]
  27. Yamakita N, Ikeda T, Murai T, et al. 1997 Panhypopituitarism due to Rathke’s cleft cyst associated with pituitary oncocytoma. Intern Med. 36:107–112.[Medline]
  28. Sbarbati A, Fakhreddine A, Zancanaro C, Bontempini L, Cinti S. 1991 Ultrastructural morphology of folliculo-stellate cells in human pituitary adenomas. Ultrastruct Pathol. 15:241–248.
  29. Lach B, Rippstein P, Benott BG, Staines W. 1996 Differentiating neuroblastoma of pituitary gland: neuroblastic transformation of epithelial adenoma cells. Case report. J Neurosurg. 85:953–960.
  30. Giometto B, Miotto D, Botteri M, et al. 1997 Folliculo-stellate cells of human pituitary adenomas: immunohistochemical study of the monocyte/macrophage phenotype expression. Neuroendocrinology. 65:47–52.[CrossRef][Medline]
  31. Klibanski A, Shupnik MA, Bikkal HA, Black PM, Kliman B, Zervas NT. 1988 Dopaminergic regulation of {alpha}-subunit secretion and messenger ribonucleic acid levels in alpha-secreting pituitary tumors. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 66:96–102.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  32. Fletcher JA, Kozakewich HP, Hoffer FA, et al. 1991 Diagnostic relevance of clonal cytogenetic aberrations in malignant soft-tissue tumors. N Engl J Med. 324:436–442.[Abstract]
  33. Mitelman F, ed. 1995 ISCN: an international system for human cytogenetic nomenclature. Basel: Karger.
  34. Chaidarun SS, Alexander JM. 1998 A tumor-specific truncated estrogen receptor splice variant enhances estrogen-stimulated gene expression. Mol Endocrinol. 12:1355–1366.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  35. Cowley S, Paterson H, Kemp P, Marshall CJ. 1994 Activation of MAP kinase is necessary and sufficient for PC12 differentiation and for transformation of NIH 373 cells. Cell. 77:841–852.
  36. Zhang X, Horwitz GA, Prezant TR, et al. 1999 Structure, expression, and function of human pituitary tumor-transforming gene (PTTG). Mol Endocrinol. 13:156–166.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  37. Chomczynski P, Sacchi N. 1987 Single-step method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction. Anal Biochem. 162:156–159.[Medline]
  38. Alexander JM, Bikkal HA, Zervas NT, Laws Jr ER, Klibanski A. 1996 Tumor-specific expression and alternate splicing of messenger ribonucleic acid encoding activin/transforming growth factor-ß receptors in human pituitary adenomas. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 81:783–790.[Abstract]
  39. Danila DC, Schally AV, Nagy A, Alexander JM. 1999 Selective induction of apoptosis by the cytotoxic analog AN-207 in cells expressing recombinant receptor for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 96:669–673.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  40. Zhou Y, Li J, Xu K, Hu SX, Benedict WF, Xu HJ. 1994 Further characterization of retinoblastoma gene-mediated cell growth and tumor suppression in human cancer cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 91:4165–4169.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  41. Banks L, Matlashewski G, Crawford L. 1986 Isolation of human-p53-specific monoclonal antibodies and their use in the studies of human p53 expression. Eur J Biochem. 159:529–534.[Medline]
  42. Gannon JV, Greaves R, Iggo R, Lane DP. 1990 Activating mutations in p53 produce a common conformational effect. A monoclonal antibody specific for the mutant form. EMBO J. 9:1595–1602.[Medline]
  43. Wrana JL, Attisano L, Carcamo J, et al. 1992 TGFß signals through a heteromeric protein kinase receptor complex. Cell. 71:1003–1014.[CrossRef][Medline]
  44. Tsuchida K, Vaughan JM, Wiater E, Gaddy-Kurten D, Vale WW. 1995 Inactivation of activin-dependent transcription by kinase-deficient activin receptors. Endocrinology. 136:5493–5503.[Abstract]
  45. Pedrocchi M, Schafer BW, Mueller H, Eppenberger U, Heizmann CW. 1994 Expression of Ca(2+)-binding proteins of the S100 family in malignant human breast-cancer cell lines and biopsy samples. Int J Cancer. 57:684–690.[Medline]
  46. Nigro JM, Baker SJ, Preisinger AC, et al. 1989 Mutations in the p53 gene occur in diverse human tumour types. Nature. 342:705–708.[CrossRef][Medline]
  47. Casey G, Lo-Hsueh M, Lopez ME, Vogelstein B, Stanbridge EJ. 1991 Growth suppression of human breast cancer cells by the introduction of a wild-type p53 gene. Oncogene. 6:1791–797.[Medline]
  48. Diller L, Kassel J, Nelson CE, et al. 1990 p53 functions as a cell cycle control protein in osteosarcomas. Mol Cell Biol. 10:5772–5781.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  49. Kasper M. 1992 Cytokeratins in intracranial and intraspinal tissues. Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol. 126:1–82.[Medline]
  50. Nakajima T, Yamaguchi H, Takahashi K. 1980 S-100 protein in folliculostellate cells of the rat pituitary anterior lobe. Brain Res. 191:523–531.[CrossRef][Medline]
  51. Ishikawa H, Nogami H, Shirasawa N. 1983 Novel clonal strains from adult rat anterior pituitary producing S-100 protein. Nature. 303:711–713.[CrossRef][Medline]
  52. Tachibana O, Yamashima T. 1988 Previously unreported "hemidesmosomal junctions" between folliculo-stellate cells and pituitary adenoma cells. Histol Histopathol. 3:275–258.[Medline]
  53. Herbert DC. 1979 Intercellular junctions in the rhesus monkey pars distalis. Anat Rec. 195:1–6.[CrossRef][Medline]
  54. Kang JS, Krauss RS. 1996 Ras induces anchorage-independent growth by subverting multiple adhesion-regulated cell cycle events. Mol Cell Biol. 16:3370–3380.[Abstract]
  55. Reddel RR. 1998 Genes involved in the control of cellular proliferative potential. Ann NY Acad Sci. 854:8–19.[CrossRef][Medline]
  56. Kiyono T, Foster SA, Koop JI, McDougall JK, Galloway DA, Klingelhutz AJ. 1998 Both Rb/p16INK4a inactivation and telomerase activity are required to immortalize human epithelial cells. Nature. 396:84–88.[CrossRef][Medline]
  57. Weinberg RA. 1995 The molecular basis of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Ann NY Acad Sci. 758:331–338.[Medline]
  58. Sherr CJ. 1996 Cancer cell cycles. Science. 274:1672–1677.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  59. Ko LJ, Prives C. 1996 p53:puzzle and paradigm. Genes Dev. 10:1054–1072.[Free Full Text]
  60. Serrano M. 1997 The tumor suppressor protein p16INK4a. Exp Cell Res. 237:7–13.[CrossRef][Medline]
  61. Greenblatt MS, Bennett WP, Hollstein M, Harris CC. 1994 Mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene: clues to cancer etiology and molecular pathogenesis. Cancer Res. 54:4855–4878.[Free Full Text]
  62. Asa SL, Ezzat S. 1998 The cytogenesis and pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas. Endocr Rev. 19:798–827.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  63. Haupt Y, Maya R, Kazaz A, Oren M. 1997 Mdm2 promotes the rapid degradation of p53. Nature. 387:296–299.[CrossRef][Medline]
  64. Kubbutat MH, Jones SN, Vousden KH. 1997 Regulation of p53 stability by Mdm2. Nature. 387:299–303.[CrossRef][Medline]
  65. Hinds PW, Finlay CA, Quartin RS, et al. 1990 Mutant p53 DNA clones from human colon carcinomas cooperate with ras in transforming primary rat cells: a comparison of the "hot spot" mutant phenotypes. Cell Growth Differ. 1:571–580.[Abstract]
  66. Harvey DM, Levine AJ. 1991 p53 alteration is a common event in the spontaneous immortalization of primary BALB/c murine embryo fibroblasts. Genes Dev. 5:2375–2385.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  67. Rey JA, Bello MJ, de Campos JM, Kusak ME, Martinez-Castro P, Benitez J. 1986 A case of pituitary adenoma with 58 chromosomes. Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 23:171–174.[CrossRef][Medline]
  68. Metzger AK, Mohapatra G, Minn YA, et al. 1999 Multiple genetic aberrations including evidence of chromosome 11q13 rearrangement detected in pituitary adenomas by comparative genomic hybridization. J Neurosurg. 90:306–314.[Medline]
  69. Mathews LS. 1994 Activin receptors and cellular signaling by the receptor serine kinase family [Review]. Endocr Rev. 15:310–325.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  70. Esch FS, Shimasaki S, Mercado M, et al. 1987 Structural characterization of follistatin: a novel follicle-stimulating hormone release-inhibiting polypeptide from the gonad. Mol Endocrinol. 1:849–855.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  71. Wang EY, Draper LB, Lee E, Polak A, Sluss P, Weiss J, Woodruff TK. 1999 Identification of naturally occurring follistatin complexes in human biological fluids. Biol Reprod. 60:8–13.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  72. Shimasaki S, Koga M, Buscaglia ML, Simmons DM, Bicsak TA, Ling N. 1989 Follistatin gene expression in the ovary and extragonadal tissues. Mol Endocrinol. 3:651–659.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  73. Ying SY. 1989 Inhibins, activins and follistatins. J Steroid Biochem. 33:705–713.[CrossRef][Medline]
  74. Michel U, Albiston A, Findlay JK. 1990 Rat follistatin: gonadal and extragonadal expression and evidence for alternative splicing. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 173:401–407.[CrossRef][Medline]
  75. Kaiser UB, Lee BL, Carroll RS, Unabia G, Chin WW, Childs GV. 1992 Follistatin gene expression in the pituitary: localization in gonadotropes and folliculostellate cells in diestrous rats. Endocrinology. 130:3048–3056.
  76. Carroll RS, Corrigan AZ, Gharib SD, WV, Chin WW. 1989 Inhibin, activin, and follistatin: regulation of follicle-stimulating hormone messenger ribonucleic acid levels. Mol Endocrinol. 3:1969–1976.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  77. Billestrup N, Gonzalez-Manchon C, Potter E, and Vale W. 1990 Inhibition of somatotroph growth and growth hormone biosynthesis by activin in vitro. Mol Endocrinol. 4:356–362.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  78. Murata T, Ying SY. 1991 Transforming growth factor-beta and activin inhibit basal secretion of prolactin in a pituitary monolayer culture system. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 198:599–605.[CrossRef][Medline]
  79. Penabad JL, Bashey HM, Asa SL, et al. 1996 Decreased follistatin gene expression in gonadotroph adenomas. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 81:3397–3403.[Abstract]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Endocr Relat CancerHome page
S. Ning, S. J Knox, G. R Harsh, M. D Culler, and L. Katznelson
Lanreotide promotes apoptosis and is not radioprotective in GH3 cells
Endocr. Relat. Cancer, September 1, 2009; 16(3): 1045 - 1055.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ReproductionHome page
L. M Bilezikjian, A. L Blount, C. J Donaldson, and W. W Vale
Pituitary actions of ligands of the TGF-{beta} family: activins and inhibins.
Reproduction, August 1, 2006; 132(2): 207 - 215.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol. Endocrinol.Home page
B. D. Cherrington, T. A. Farmerie, C. A. Lents, J. D. Cantlon, M. S. Roberson, and C. M. Clay
Activin Responsiveness of the Murine Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Gene Is Mediated by a Composite Enhancer Containing Spatially Distinct Regulatory Elements
Mol. Endocrinol., April 1, 2005; 19(4): 898 - 912.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
X. Zhang, Y. Zhou, K. R. Mehta, D. C. Danila, S. Scolavino, S. R. Johnson, and A. Klibanski
A Pituitary-Derived MEG3 Isoform Functions as a Growth Suppressor in Tumor Cells
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2003; 88(11): 5119 - 5126.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
EndocrinologyHome page
E. Solito, A. Mulla, J. F. Morris, H. C. Christian, R. J. Flower, and J. C. Buckingham
Dexamethasone Induces Rapid Serine-Phosphorylation and Membrane Translocation of Annexin 1 in a Human Folliculostellate Cell Line via a Novel Nongenomic Mechanism Involving the Glucocorticoid Receptor, Protein Kinase C, Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase, and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase
Endocrinology, April 1, 2003; 144(4): 1164 - 1174.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
EndocrinologyHome page
L. M. Bilezikjian, A. M. O. Leal, A. L. Blount, A. Z. Corrigan, A. V. Turnbull, and W. W. Vale
Rat Anterior Pituitary Folliculostellate Cells Are Targets of Interleukin-1{beta} and a Major Source of Intrapituitary Follistatin
Endocrinology, February 1, 2003; 144(2): 732 - 740.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
D. C. Danila, X. Zhang, Y. Zhou, J. N. S. Haidar, and A. Klibanski
Overexpression of Wild-Type Activin Receptor Alk4-1 Restores Activin Antiproliferative Effects in Human Pituitary Tumor Cells
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2002; 87(10): 4741 - 4746.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
EndocrinologyHome page
S. Kawakami, Y. Fujii, Y. Okada, and S. J. Winters
Paracrine Regulation of FSH by Follistatin in Folliculostellate Cell-Enriched Primate Pituitary Cell Cultures
Endocrinology, June 1, 2002; 143(6): 2250 - 2258.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
X. Zhang, H. Sun, D. C. Danila, S. R. Johnson, Y. Zhou, B. Swearingen, and A. Klibanski
Loss of Expression of GADD45{gamma}, a Growth Inhibitory Gene, in Human Pituitary Adenomas: Implications for Tumorigenesis
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., March 1, 2002; 87(3): 1262 - 1267.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
D. C. Danila, J. N. S. Haidar, X. Zhang, L. Katznelson, M. D. Culler, and A. Klibanski
Somatostatin Receptor-Specific Analogs: Effects on Cell Proliferation and Growth Hormone Secretion in Human Somatotroph Tumors
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., July 1, 2001; 86(7): 2976 - 2981.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Danila, D. C.
Right arrow Articles by Klibanski, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Danila, D. C.
Right arrow Articles by Klibanski, A.


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Endocrinology Endocrine Reviews J. Clin. End. & Metab.
Molecular Endocrinology Recent Prog. Horm. Res. All Endocrine Journals