In vivo time-lapse imaging delineates the zebrafish pituitary proopiomelanocortin lineage boundary regulated by FGF3 signal.

ABSTRACT: The anterior pituitary gland (adenohypophysis) comprises anterior and intermediate lobes (the pars distalis and pars intermedia) arising from placodal ectoderm at the anterior neural ridge. Signaling molecules including SHH, FGF, WNT, BMP and Notch are involved in regulating primordial pituitary proliferation and lineage determination. However, morphogenic events and molecular mechanisms governing anterior and intermediate lobe specification are not clear. Pituitary expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC), the common precursor for adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) of pars distalis corticotropes and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) of pars intermedia melanotropes, provides a unique marker for anterior and intermediate lobe morphogenesis. We performed time-lapse confocal microscopy

SUBMITTER: Liu NA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2583244 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature