Targeted ablation of cells in the pituitary primordia of transgenic mice.

The various hormones of the anterior pituitary are expressed in a specific temporal and spatial pattern during organogenesis, which is interpreted as a reflection of a temporal pattern of pituitary cytodifferentiation. The first pituitary transcripts detected are from alpha GSU, which encodes the alpha-subunit common to the gonadotropins (FSH and LH) and TSH. TSH beta-subunit transcripts appear several days later but precede transcription of the GH and FSH beta and LH beta-subunit genes. To determine the lineage relationship between the alpha-subunit-expressing cells and the other hormone-producing cells of the anterior pituitary, we have employed the technique of transgene ablation. Transgenic mice were generated that express either the normal diphtheria toxin A chain or a 30-fold less active attenuated version in pituitary gonadotrope and thyrotrope cells. The absence of detectable transcripts for alpha-subunit, TSH beta-subunit, or LH beta-subunit by in situ hybridization confirmed that ablation was complete. In spite of the absence of gonadotropes and thyrotropes, the GH and ACTH-producing cells developed normally. These results imply that although thyrotropes appear early in pituitary development, they are not obligate intermediates in the developmental pathway. Instead, commitment to individual differentiated pituitary cell fates must occur autonomously or before the expression of currently known differentiation markers.

Implementing transgenic and embryonic stem cell technology to study gene expression, cell-cell interactions and gene function.

This review highlights the use of transgenic mice and gene targeting in the study of reproduction, pituitary gene expression, and cell lineage. Since 1980 numerous applications of transgenic animal technology have been reported. Altered phenotypes resulting from transgene expression demonstrated that introduced genes can exert profound effects on animal physiology. Transgenic mice have been important for the study of hormonal and developmental control of gene expression because gene expression in whole animals often requires more DNA sequence information than is necessary for expression in cell cultures. This point is illustrated by studies of pituitary glycoprotein hormone alpha- and beta-subunit gene expression (Kendall et al., Mol Endocrinol 1994; in press [1]. Transgenic mice have also been invaluable for producing animal models of cancer and other diseases and testing the efficacy of gene therapy. In addition, cell-cell interactions and cell lineage relationships have been explored by cell-specific expression of toxin genes in transgenic mice. Recent studies suggest that attenuated and inducible toxins hold promise for future transgene ablation experiments. Since 1987, embryonic stem (ES) cell technology has been used to create numerous mouse strains with targeted gene alterations, contributing enormously to our understanding of the functional importance of individual genes. For example, the unexpected development of gonadal tumors in mice with a targeted disruption of the inhibin gene revealed a potential role for inhibin as a tumor suppressor (Matzuk et al., Nature 1992:360: 313-319 [2]. The transgenic and ES cell technologies will undoubtedly continue to expand our understanding and challenge our paradigms in reproductive biology.

Enhancer-mediated high level expression of mouse pituitary glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit transgene in thyrotropes, gonadotropes, and developing pituitary gland.

The pituitary hormones LH, FSH, and TSH are heterodimers composed of a common alpha-subunit and unique beta-subunits. We demonstrate that 4.6, 2.7, 1.49 or 0.48 kilobases (kb) mouse alpha-subunit 5'-flanking sequences are sufficient for transgene expression in both gonadotropes and thyrotropes but not in inappropriate pituitary cells. In contrast, transgenes with bovine or human alpha-subunit flanking sequences have been shown to confer reporter gene expression only to gonadotrope cells, suggesting that the elements regulating cell-specific expression may differ between species. Equal levels of reporter gene expression were conferred by 5.0 and 0.48 kb in transiently transfected thyrotrope tumor-derived cells. In contrast, in transgenic mice, high level expression was only obtained with 4.6 kb 5'-flanking sequences, indicating the presence of an enhancer element between 4.6 and 2.7 kb. The 4.6 kb of 5'-flanking sequences are sufficient for both hormonal and developmental regulation of transgene expression. Mice rendered hypothyroid by radiothyroidectomy had significantly higher levels of transgene expression than either hyperthyroid or euthyroid animals. The temporal and spatial pattern of transgene expression in Rathke's pouch paralleled that of the endogenous gene; the onset of transgene expression occurred by embryonic day 9.5. Low level expression of both the transgene and the endogenous alpha-subunit gene were detected in some unexpected peripheral sites, such as the embryonic extraocular and olfactory regions, suggesting that alpha-subunit may have a more diverse role in development than previously considered.