DLK1/PREF1 marks a novel cell population in the human adrenal cortex.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol
; 193: 105422, 2019 10.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31265901
ABSTRACT
The adrenal cortex governs fundamental metabolic processes though synthesis of glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoids and androgens. Studies in rodents have demonstrated that the cortex undergoes a self-renewal process and that capsular/subcapsular stem/progenitor cell pools differentiate towards functional steroidogenic cells supporting the dynamic centripetal streaming of adrenocortical cells throughout life. We previously demonstrated that the Notch atypical ligand Delta-like homologue 1 (DLK1)/preadipocyte factor 1 (PREF1) is expressed in subcapsular Sf1 and Shh-positive, CYP11B1-negative and CYP11B2-partially positive cortical progenitor cells in rat adrenals, and that secreted DLK1 can modulate GLI1 expression in H295R cells. Here we show that the human adrenal cortex remodels with age to generate clusters of relatively undifferentiated cells expressing DLK1. These clusters (named DLK1-expressing cell clusters or DCCs) increased with age in size and were found to be different entities to aldosterone-producing cell clusters, another well-characterized and age-dependent cluster structure. DLK1 was markedly overexpressed in adrenocortical carcinomas but not in aldosterone-producing adenomas. Thus, this data identifies a novel cell population in the human adrenal cortex and might suggest a yet-to be identified role of DLK1 in the pathogenesis of adrenocortical carcinoma in humans.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Proteínas de Unión al Calcio
/
Corteza Suprarrenal
/
Proteínas de la Membrana
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
/
BIOQUIMICA
Año:
2019
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido