BDNF engages pituitary stem cells

In the pituitary gland, maintenance of the adult corticotrope lineage relies heavily on replication of differentiated cells. In contrast in pathological conditions, such as adrenalectomy, that deplete circulating glucocorticoids (Gc), pituitary stem cells are activated to increase the number of corticotropes.

In the present work, we used the POMC knockout mouse model (POMC-/-) of Gc deficiency to identify and characterize pre-corticotrope precursors that are normally rare and short lived but accumulate in this model. Differentiation of PSCs into pre-corticotropes is repressed by Gc and requires the lineage-specific transcription factor Tpit. Pre-corticotrope maintenance is dependent on a BDNF autocrine loop that is sensitive to Gc.