UNSW Embryology

Molecular Development - Pit

© Dr Mark Hill (2008)

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Pit1 (pituitary-specific transcription factor) is a transcription factor required for normal mammalian pituitary development and hormone expression. Pit is a member of the POU family of transcription factors. This transcription factor has been recently identified as itself being activated by an AT motif-binding factor (ATBF1).

Mutations in this gene can lead to deficiencies in growth hormone, prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Pit-1 and a variant called Pit-1T (containing a 14 amino acid insertion in the transactivation domain) has also been identified as a factor required for in thyrotropic cell specific expression of thyroid stimulating hormone-beta (TSH β).

Also called: POU1F1, Growth Hormone Factor 1, GHF1

(More? Endocrine Development - Pituitary)

Page Links: Introduction | Some Recent Findings | Pathway | OMIM Entry | Bookshelf References | Human Map | Patched Receptor | Signaling Factors | WWW Links | References | Glossary

Some Recent Findings

Heart Development Qi Y, Ranish JA, Zhu X, Krones A, Zhang J, Aebersold R, Rose DW, Rosenfeld MG, Carrière C. Atbf1 is required for the Pit1 gene early activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Feb 13

"A transcription factor belonging to the "giant, multiple-homeodomain and zinc finger family," Atbf1, serves as a novel pituitary regulator for one of the two required enhancers as shown by genetic and in vitro analysis."

Pathway

ATBF1 -> Pit1

OMIM Database

OMIM Online Database Pit1 | ATBF1

Bookshelf References

Developmental Biology (6th ed.) Gilbert, Scott F. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates, Inc. (c2000)

Molecular Biology of the Cell (4th ed.) Alberts, Bruce; Johnson, Alexander; Lewis, Julian; Raff, Martin; Roberts, Keith; Walter, Peter. New York: Garland Publishing (c2002)

Human PIT Map

The image below shows the regional location of the human PIT gene on chromosome .

Signaling Factors

Signaling during development, though complex, can also be grouped into a few specific classes. These mechanisms have also been listed and described briefly on Signaling Mechanisms Introduction page.

Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) | Engrailed (En) | Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) | Hedgehog (HH) | Homeobox genes (Hox) | Laminin | MyoD | Nanog | Nodal | Paired Box (Pax) | PItuitary-specific Transcription factor (Pit) | Retinoic Acid (RA) | Snail | | Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) | SRY | T-Box genes | Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-b) | Olig | Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) | Wnt7a