Open AccessRole of the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor signaling in development and differentiation of the thyroid gland
Author(s) -
Maria Pia Postiglione,
Rosanna Parlato,
Alina Rodríguez-Mallón,
Annamaria Rosica,
Pratibha Mithbaokar,
María Isabel Armada Maresca,
Russell Marians,
Terry F. Davies,
Mariastella Zannini,
Mario De Felice,
Roberto Di Lauro
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.242328999
Subject(s) - thyroid , medicine , endocrinology , thyroid peroxidase , thyroglobulin , sodium iodide symporter , pax8 , hormone , thyroid hormone receptor , thyrotropin receptor , symporter , receptor , thyroid stimulating hormone , biology , chemistry , transcription factor , graves' disease , biochemistry , gene , transporter
The thyroid-stimulating hormone/thyrotropin (TSH) is the most relevant hormone in the control of thyroid gland physiology in adulthood. TSH effects on the thyroid gland are mediated by the interaction with a specific TSH receptor (TSHR). We studied the role of TSHTSHR signaling on gland morphogenesis and differentiation in the mouse embryo using mouse lines deprived either of TSH (pit(dw)pit(dw)) or of a functional TSHR (tshr(hyt)tshr(hyt) and TSHR-knockout lines). The results reported here show that in the absence of either TSH or a functional TSHR, the thyroid gland develops to a normal size, whereas the expression of thyroperoxidase and the sodium/iodide symporter are reduced greatly. Conversely, no relevant changes are detected in the amounts of thyroglobulin and the thyroid-enriched transcription factors TTF-1, TTF-2, and Pax8. These data suggest that the major role of the TSH/TSHR pathway is in controlling genes involved in iodide metabolism such as sodium/iodide symporter and thyroperoxidase. Furthermore, our data indicate that in embryonic life TSH does not play an equivalent role in controlling gland growth as in the adult thyroid.