Functional role of the RET dependence receptor, GFRa co-receptors and ligands in the pituitary.
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Garcia-Lavandeira M, Diaz-Rodriguez E, Garcia-Rendueles ME, Rodrigues JS, Perez-Romero S, Bravo SB, Alvarez CV
Functional role of the RET dependence receptor, GFRa co-receptors and ligands in the pituitary.
Front Horm Res. 2010;38:127-38. doi: 10.1159/000318502. Epub 2010 Jul 5.
- PubMed ID
- 20616503 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
The RET receptor is a tyrosine kinase receptor implicated in kidney and neural development. In the adenopituitary RET and the co-receptor GFRa1 are expressed exclusively in the somatotrophs secreting GH. RET is implicated in a clever pathway to maintain at physiological levels the number of somatotrophs and the GH production. Thus, in absence of its ligand GDNF, RET induces apoptosis through massive expression of Pit-1 leading to p53 accumulation. In the presence of the ligand GDNF, RET activates its tyrosine kinase and promotes survival at the expense of reducing Pit-1 expression and downregulating GH. Recent data suggest that RET can also have a second role in pituitary plasticity through a second co-receptor GFRa2.