Table 1.
Candidate factors for regulating the stem/progenitor cell niches in the adult pituitary.
| Signaling Types | Gene Symbol | Gene Title | Description | Localization and/or Expression in the | References | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCL-AL | MCL-IL | SOX2+-Cell Clusters | Non-SOX2+-Cell | S100β+-Cell | SP | Analyzed Species | |||||
| Soluble factor signaling | Fgfr | basic fibroblast growth factor receptor | Receptor for growth factor | – | – | – | – | – | c | m | [20] |
| Egfr | epidermal growth factor receptor | Receptor for growth factor | – | – | – | – | – | c | m | [20] | |
| Lifr | leukemia inhibitory factor receptor | Receptor for growth factor | – | – | – | – | – | c | m | [20] | |
| Ntn | Neurturin | Growth factor | – | – | – | a | – | – | r, h | [44] | |
| Gfra2 | GDNF receptor α 2 | Receptor for growth factor | a | a | – | – | – | – | m, r, h | [44] | |
| Cxcl12 (Sdf1) | Stromal cell-derived factor-1 | Chemokine | – | – | – | – | a, b, c, d | c | m, r | [42,45] | |
| Cxcr4 | C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 | Receptor for Chemokine | – | – | – | a, b, c, d | a, b, c, d | c | m, r | [20,45,46] | |
| Juxtacrine signaling | Notch1 | Notch receptor 1 | Receptor for Notch signaling | b | b | b | – | b, c | c | m, r | [18,20,47] |
| Notch2 | Notch receptor 2 | Receptor for Notch signaling | b | b | b | – | b, c | c | m, r | [18,20,47] | |
| Notch3 | Notch receptor 3 | Receptor for Notch signaling | – | – | – | – | – | c | m | [18,20] | |
| Notch4 | Notch receptor 4 | Receptor for Notch signaling | – | – | – | – | – | c | m | [18,20] | |
| Jag1 | Jagged1 | Ligand for Notch signaling | b | b | b | – | b, c | c | m, r | [20,47] | |
| Jag2 | Jagged2 | Ligand for Notch signaling | – | b | – | b (in the IL) | – | – | r | [47] | |
| Dll4 | Delta-like protein 4 | Ligand for Notch signaling | – | – | – | – | – | c | m | [20] | |
| Efn-B2 | Ephrin-B2 | Ligand for ephrin/Eph signaling | a | a | a | – | a | c | m, r | [42,48] | |
| ECM-to-cell signaling | Itga1 | Integrin, α1 | Linkage of the ECM to the cells | – | – | – | c | c | – | r | [49] |
| Itga3 | Integrin, α3 | Linkage of the ECM to the cells | – | – | – | c | c | – | r | [49] | |
| Itga6 | Integrin, α6 | Linkage of the ECM to the cells | – | – | – | c | c | – | r | [49] | |
| Itgb1 | Integrin, β1 | Linkage of the ECM to the cells | – | – | – | c | a, c | – | r | [49] | |
| Lama5 | Laminin, α5 | ECM | b | b | b | – | – | – | r | [50] | |
| Sdc4 | Syndecan 4 | Transmembrane proteoglycan | – | – | – | c | c, d | – | r | [51] | |
| Dcn | Decorin | SLRPs | – | – | – | – | b | – | r | [52] | |
| Bgn | Biglycan | SLRPs | – | – | – | – | b | – | r | [52] | |
| Fmod | Fibromodulin | SLRPs | – | – | – | – | b | – | r | [52] | |
| Lum | Lumican | SLRPs | – | – | – | – | b | – | r | [52] | |
| Prelp | Proline/arginine-rich end leucine-rich repeat protein | SLRPs | – | – | – | – | b | – | r | [52] | |
| Ogn | Osteoglycan | SLRPs | – | – | – | – | b | – | r | [52] | |
Each localization and/or expression is demonstrated by immunohistochemistry (a), in situ hybridization (b), (Semi-) qPCR (c) and Western blotting (d); A ”SP” column indicates the genes enriched in non-Sca1high-SP (side-population) than main population ones; In “Analyzed species” column, m, r and h indicate mouse, rat and human, respectively; MCL-AL, the marginal cell layer in the anterior lobe; MCL-IL, the marginal cell layer in the intermediate lobe; ECM, extracellular matrix; GDNF, glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor; SLRPs, small leucine-rich proteoglycans.