Bioinformatics analyses of cell-cell interactions in the pituitary gland

Abstract

The anterior pituitary gland is integral to the endocrine system, regulating the activities of several peripheral organs whose secretions help maintain homeostasis. Due to its intermediate position between the brain and the periphery, the gland is often considered a passive relayer of hypothalamic regulation. However, mounting evidence suggests that the pituitary also actively coordinates and modifies its response to extracellular signals through cell-cell interactions within the gland. The studies herein aim to improve our understanding of this intercellular communication by identifying candidate molecules involved in both cell contact-based and ligand-based communication between pituitary cells. Through analysis of pituitary transcriptome data, candidate molecules mediating selective homotypic adhesion between endocrine cells were generated and subsequent examination of their expression patterns gave evidence of how adhesion specificity might be achieved in the pituitary. The role of intercellular communication during a physiological challenge was investigated by inferring paracrine responses of pituitary cells to chronic stress based on changes in gene expression. This approach revealed both broad shifts to communication patterns between cells and individual ligand-receptor interactions that may underlie these changes. These candidate molecules provide a valuable starting point for future studies aiming to understand the internal regulation of the pituitary.