Ontogeny of glucocorticoid and D2 receptors in the rat pituitary: an in situ hybridization study

The expression of glucocorticoid and D2 dopamine receptors (GR and D2R) during rat pituitary ontogenesis was studied by in situ hybridization (ISH). On early stages, E13–E14, a weak specific signal for GR mRNA was obvious in the whole Rathke's pouch (RP) whereas subsequently, from E17–E18, strong labelling was restricted to the anterior lobe (AL) and the neural lobe (NL). At the same time, D2R mRNAs appeared in the intermediate lobe (IL) and the long isoform of the D2R (D2R 444) was detectable with specific probes. On the postnatal stages, until adult, GR mRNA, if present, was always undetectable in the IL using the conventional ISH technique. These data indicate a possible early regulation of POMC gene expression by glucocorticoid in corticotrophic cells of the AL and by dopamine in the melanotrophic cells of the IL. The possibility of a negative regulation of GR mRNA by dopamine (DA) in the IL as soon as E17 is discussed.