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Homeobox genes in melatonin-producing pinealocytes: Otx2 and Crx act to promote hormone synthesis in the mature rat pineal gland
- Source :
- Journal of pineal research. 66(4)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Homeobox genes encode transcription factors that regulate developmental processes; however, in the pineal gland, a neuroendocrine organ responsible for nocturnal melatonin synthesis, expression of the homeobox genes Otx2 (orthodenticle homeobox 2) and Crx (cone-rod homeobox) persists postnatally. We here show that OTX2 and CRX are exclusively present in melatonin-producing pinealocytes of the rat pineal gland. To understand the roles of Otx2 and Crx in the mature pineal gland, we used siRNA technology in cultured rat pinealocytes with the nocturnal situation mimicked by adding norepinephrine to the culture media. siRNA-induced knockdown of Otx2 was found to reduce expression levels of the enzymes involved in melatonin synthesis at both transcript and protein levels. Similar results were obtained when knocking down Crx. Knocking down Otx2 and Crx simultaneously produced an even larger reduction in both transcript and protein levels of the melatonin-producing enzymes and also reduced the levels of melatonin released to the culture media. These results suggest that Otx2 and Crx, both alone and in combination, act to control pineal melatonin synthesis.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Male
endocrine system
Small interfering RNA
Biology
Pineal Gland
Pinealocyte
Melatonin
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
03 medical and health sciences
Pineal gland
0302 clinical medicine
Endocrinology
medicine
Animals
Transcription factor
Orthodenticle homeobox 2
Homeodomain Proteins
Gene knockdown
Otx Transcription Factors
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Immunohistochemistry
Cell biology
Rats
030104 developmental biology
medicine.anatomical_structure
Trans-Activators
Homeobox
hormones, hormone substitutes, and hormone antagonists
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
medicine.drug
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 1600079X
- Volume :
- 66
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of pineal research
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....8d85f16d3d3cd64b8751ef33db6a525e