2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Cloning of the factors determining specific production of GH in somatotrophs and their pathophysiological significance
| Project/Area Number |
17590962
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Research Field |
Endocrinology
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Kobe University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
OKIMURA Yasuhiko Kobe University, School of Medicine, associate professor, 医学部, 助教授 (30204100)
|
|---|
| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TAKAHASHI Yutaka Kobe University Hospital, lecturer, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (70301281)
IIDA Keiji Kobe University, Graduate School of Medicine, research associate, 大学院・医学系研究科, 助手 (80324911)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2006
|
| Keywords | growth hormone / LCR of GH gene / ES cells |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
Pit-1 is a pituitary specific transcription factor that stimulates growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and TSH-β gene expression. However it is difficult to explain cell-specific expression of GH, PRL and TSH-β since they are produced in different cells. Although locus control region (LCR) of GH gene is important to determine somatotroph-specific expression of GH, it is unknown what mechanism regulates cell-specific expression of GH. To clarify the mechanism, we tried to find factors that bind to the LCR using cell sorting of pituitary cells containing LCR-GH-GFP reporter in genome DNA and RNA interference library. Unfortunately we cannot obtain the factors until now. However the significance of LCR in cell differentiation has been clarified in our study. We established ES cells that contain LCR-GH-GFP gene in their genomes. GFP expression was parallel to GH production in the ES cells during differentiation to somatotrophs. GFP expression was higher in the cells containing LCR-GH-GFP gene than the cells with GH-GFP gene. Next, we tested the functions of hormones, growth factors and cytokines to stimulate differentiation to somatotrophs and unexpectedly found LIF was a potent factor.
|
