Pituitary gland development: an update

The embryonic development of the pituitary gland involves a complex and highly spatio-temporally regulated network of integrating signalling molecules and transcription factors. Genetic mutations in any of these factors can lead to congenital hypopituitarism in association with a wide spectrum of cr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEndocrine development Vol. 23; p. 1
Main Authors Bancalari, Rodrigo E, Gregory, Louise C, McCabe, Mark J, Dattani, Mehul T
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland 01.01.2012
Subjects
Abnormalities, Multiple - embryology
Abnormalities, Multiple - etiology
Abnormalities, Multiple - genetics
Animals
Endocrinology - methods
Endocrinology - trends
Humans
Hypopituitarism - complications
Hypopituitarism - congenital
Hypopituitarism - embryology
Hypopituitarism - genetics
Models, Biological
Organogenesis - genetics
Organogenesis - physiology
Pituitary Gland - anatomy & histology
Pituitary Gland - embryology
Pituitary Gland - growth & development
Pituitary Gland - physiology
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Summary:The embryonic development of the pituitary gland involves a complex and highly spatio-temporally regulated network of integrating signalling molecules and transcription factors. Genetic mutations in any of these factors can lead to congenital hypopituitarism in association with a wide spectrum of craniofacial/midline defects ranging from incompatibility with life to holoprosencephaly (HPE) and cleft palate and septo-optic dysplasia (SOD). Increasing evidence supports a genotypic overlap with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadal disorders such as Kallmann syndrome, which is consistent with the known overlap in phenotypes between these disorders. This chapter reviews the cascade of events leading up to the successful development of the pituitary gland and to highlight key areas where genetic variations can occur thus leading to congenital hypopituitarism and associated defects.
ISSN:1662-2979
DOI:10.1159/000341733