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Journal of Endocrinology (2009) 202, 375-387       DOI: 10.1677/JOE-09-0153
© 2009 Society for Endocrinology
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Characterization of adherens junction protein expression and localization in pituitary cell networks

 Norbert Chauvet1,2,3,4, Taoufik El-Yandouzi1,2,3,4, Marie-Noëlle Mathieu1,2,3,4, Audrey Schlernitzauer1,2,3,4, Evelyne Galibert1,2,3,4, Chrystel Lafont1,2,3,4, Paul Le Tissier5, Iain C Robinson5, Patrice Mollard1,2,3,4 and Nathalie Coutry1,2,3,4

1 Département d'Endocrinologie, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
2 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Unité 661, Montpellier 34094, France
3 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5203, Montpellier 34094, France
4 Universités Montpellier I and II, Montpellier 34094, France
5 Division of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, National Institute of Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK

(Correspondence should be addressed to N Coutry; Email: nathalie.coutry{at}igf.cnrs.fr; N Chauvet; Email: norbert.chauvet{at}igf.cnrs.fr)

Our view of anterior pituitary organization has been altered with the recognition that folliculo-stellate (FS) and somatotroph cell populations form large-scale three-dimensional homotypic networks. This morphological cellular organization may optimize communication within the pituitary gland promoting coordinated pulsatile secretion adapted to physiological needs. The aim of this study was to identify the molecules involved in the formation and potential functional organization and/or signaling within these cell–cell networks. Here, we have focused on one class of cell adhesion molecules, the cadherins, since β-catenin has been detected in the GH cell network. We have characterized, by qPCR and immunohistochemistry, their cellular expression and distribution. We have also examined whether their expression could be modulated during pituitary tissue remodeling. The mouse anterior pituitary has a restricted and cell-type specific repertoire of cadherin expression: cadherin-11 is exclusively expressed in TSH cells; N-cadherin displays a ubiquitous expression pattern but with different levels of expression between endocrine cell types; E-cadherin is restricted to homotypic contacts between FS cells; while cadherin-18 is expressed both in somatotrophs and FS cells. Thus, each cell type presents a defined combinatorial expression of different subsets of cadherins. This cell-type specific cadherin expression profile emerges early during development and undergoes major changes during postnatal development. These results suggest the existence within the anterior pituitary of cell–cell contact signaling based on a defined pattern of cadherin expression, which may play a crucial role in cellular recognition during the formation and fate of pituitary cell homotypic networks.






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