Identification of marker genes for pars tuberalis morphogenesis in chick embryo: expression of Cytokine-like 1 and Gap junction protein alpha 5 in pars tuberalis

The adenohypophysis is formed from the oral ectoderm and consists of the pars distalis (PD), pars intermedia, and pars tuberalis (PT). The mechanisms of PD development have been extensively studied, and the cellular differentiation of the PD is well understood. However, the morphogenesis and differentiation of the PT are still unclear, and the genes expressed during PT development remain largely unknown. We have explored genes specifically expressed in the PT during embryonic development and analyzed their spatiotemporal expression patterns. Microarray analysis of laser-captured PT and PD tissues obtained from chick embryos on embryonic day 10 (E10.0) has shown high expression of Cytokine-like 1 ( CYTL1 ) and Gap junction protein alpha 5 ( GJA5 ) genes in the PT. Detailed analysis of these spatiotemporal expression patterns during chick embryo development by in situ hybridization has revealed that CYTL1 mRNA first appears in the lateral head ectoderm and ventral head ectoderm at E1.5. The expression of CYTL1 moves into Rathke’s pouch at E2.5 and is then localized in the PT primordium where it is continuously expressed until E12.0. GJA5 mRNA is transiently detected in the PT primordium from E6.0 to E12.0, whereas its expression is not detected in the PD during development. Thus, these genes might be involved in the regulation mechanisms of PT development and could be useful markers for PT development.