Biology of the pituitary gonadotrope cell

垂体促性腺细胞的生物学

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-05178
• 负责人: Bernard, Daniel
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=613397
• 关键词: Biology; pituitary; gonadotrope; cell

The organs of the body, like the brain and heart, are made up of specialized cells that perform the necessary functions of those organs. Our research program is dedicated to more fully understanding the functions of a specific cell type in the pituitary gland called the gonadotrope. The pituitary gland is an organ that sits at the base of the brain. It is comprised of five cell types, each of which makes hormones that control different aspects of bodily function, including reproduction, metabolism, growth, and our responses to stress. Hormones are chemical messengers made in one organ that travel through the bloodstream to regulate the activity of other organs. In the case of the reproductive system, pituitary gonadotropes make two hormones called follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Once released from gonadotropes, FSH and LH travel to the ovaries and testicles were they control the development of the eggs and sperm as well as the production of hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. The production and release of FSH and LH, in turn, are controlled by another hormone from the brain called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). A major component of our research program is dedicated to understanding how GnRH produces these responses in gonadotrope cells. In addition to GnRH, FSH production is strongly controlled by another hormone called activin, which is made by the gonadotrope cell itself; or so we thought. Research findings from our lab suggest that a hormone similar to activin, but not activin itself, may be a primary regulator of FSH production. With the support of this Discovery Grant, we propose to identify this hormone, to determine where it comes from in the body, and to understand how it controls FSH production by gonadotrope cells. In this grant, we also propose to address a second set of major unanswered questions about gonadotrope cells: How long do they live? Are they replaced continuously, like cells of the hair follicle or intestines, or can they last a life time, like cells of the brain or heart? Can gonadotropes be replaced in adulthood and, if so, from where do they arise? Collectively, the knowledge generated from our research program will provide greater insight into the normal workings of pituitary gonadotrope cells specifically and of the reproductive system more generally. At the same time, our results may help us understand what goes awry in some infertile couples.

身体的器官，如大脑和心脏，是由专门的细胞组成的，这些细胞执行这些器官的必要功能。我们的研究项目致力于更全面地了解垂体中一种称为促性腺激素的特定细胞类型的功能。脑下垂体是一个位于大脑底部的器官。它由五种细胞类型组成，每种细胞类型都产生控制身体功能不同方面的激素，包括生殖，新陈代谢，生长和我们对压力的反应。 激素是一个器官中产生的化学信使，通过血流调节其他器官的活动。在生殖系统的情况下，垂体促性腺激素产生两种激素，称为卵泡刺激素（FSH）和黄体生成素（LH）。一旦从促性腺激素释放，FSH和LH就会到达卵巢和睾丸，它们控制卵子和精子的发育以及激素如睾酮和雌激素的产生。FSH和LH的产生和释放反过来又由另一种来自大脑的激素控制，称为促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）。我们研究计划的一个主要组成部分是致力于了解GnRH如何在促性腺细胞中产生这些反应。 除了GnRH外，FSH的产生还受到另一种称为激活素的激素的强烈控制，激活素是由促性腺细胞本身产生的;或者我们是这样认为的。我们实验室的研究结果表明，一种类似于激活素的激素，但不是激活素本身，可能是FSH产生的主要调节因子。在这项发现资助的支持下，我们建议鉴定这种激素，确定它在体内的来源，并了解它如何控制促性腺细胞的FSH产生。 在这项资助中，我们还提出了第二组关于促性腺细胞的主要未回答的问题：它们能活多久？它们是像毛囊细胞或肠细胞一样不断地被替换，还是像大脑细胞或心脏细胞一样持续一生？促性腺激素在成年后可以被替代吗？如果可以，它们是从哪里产生的？ 总的来说，从我们的研究计划产生的知识将提供更深入的了解垂体促性腺细胞的正常工作，特别是生殖系统更普遍。与此同时，我们的研究结果可能有助于我们了解一些不孕夫妇的错误。