Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Role of Transcription Factor Oct4 in Postnatal Development and Function of the Adrenal Cortex

  • Published:
Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine Aims and scope

We analyzed the expression of transcriptional factor Oct4 in rat adrenal cortical cells during postnatal development. It was found that Oct4 is expressed by typical cortical cells of the zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata, and zona reticularis in pubertal and postpubertal periods. The maximum number of Oct4+ cells was found in the zona glomerulosa. An inverse correlation between the number of Oct4+ glomerulosa cells and serum level of aldosterone both in pubertal and postpubertal periods was revealed. After puberty, the number of Oct4+ glomerulosa cells directly correlated with the number of Ki-67+ cells. A hypothesis was put forward that Oct4 is involved in postnatal morphogenesis, regeneration, and functioning of the adrenal cortex.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bruder ED, Nagler AK, Raff H. Oxygen-dependence of ACTH-stimulated aldosterone and corticosterone synthesis in the rat adrenal cortex: developmental aspects. J. Endocrinol. 2002;172(3):595-604.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Cheng L, Sung M.T, Cossu-Rocca P, Jones TD, MacLennan GT, De Jong J, Lopez-Beltran A, Montironi R, Looijenga LH. OCT4: biological functions and clinical applications as a marker of germ cell neoplasia. J. Pathol. 2007;211(1):1-9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Freedman BD, Kempna PB, Carlone DL, Shah M, Guagliardo NA, Barrett PQ, Gomez-Sanchez CE, Majzoub JA, Breault DT. Adrenocortical zonation results from lineage conversion of differentiated zona glomerulosa cells. Dev. Cell. 2013;26(6):666-673.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Ishimoto H, Jaffe RB. Development and function of the human fetal adrenal cortex: a key component in the feto-placental unit. Endocr. Rev. 2011;32(3):317-355.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Liedtke S, Stephan M, Kögler G. Oct4 expression revisited: potential pitfalls for data misinterpretation in stem cell research. Biol. Chem. 2008;389(7):845-850.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Liu X, Huang J, Chen T, Wang Y, Xin S, Li J, Pei G, Kang J. Yamanaka factors critically regulate the developmental signaling network in mouse embryonic stem cells. Cell Res. 2008;18(12):1177-1189.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Looijenga LH, Stoop H, de Leeuw HP, de Gouveia Brazao CA, Gillis AJ, van Roozendaal KE, van Zoelen EJ, Weber RF, Wolffenbuttel KP, van Dekken H, Honecker F, Bokemeyer C, Perlman EJ, Schneider DT, Kononen J, Sauter G, Oosterhuis JW. POU5F1 (OCT3/4) identifies cells with pluripotent potential in human germ cell tumors. Cancer Res. 2003;63(9):2244-2250.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lorente M, Mirapeix RM, Miguel M, Longmei W, Volk D, Cervós-Navarro J. Chronic hypoxia induced ultrastructural changes in the rat adrenal zona glomerulosa. Histol. Histopathol. 2002;17(1):185-190.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mazroa S, Asker S. Ultrastructural changes in zona fasiculata cells of suprarenal cortex in adult male albino rats after short exposure to high ambient temperature and the effect of fish oil administration. Egypt. J. Histol. 2010;33(1):23-31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Mitani F. Functional zonation of the rat adrenal cortex: the development and maintenance. Proc. Jpn. Acad. Ser. B Phys. Biol. Sci. 2014;90(5):163-183.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Mitani F, Mukai K, Miyamoto H, Suematsu M, Ishimura Y. The undifferentiated cell zone is a stem cell zone in adult rat adrenal cortex. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 2003;1619(3):317-324.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Niwa H, Miyazaki J, Smith AG. Quantitative expression of Oct-3/4 defines differentiation, dedifferentiation or self-renewal of ES cells. Nat. Genet. 2000;24(4):372-376.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Olariu V, Lövkvist C, Sneppen K. Nanog, Oct4 and Tet1 interplay in establishing pluripotency. Sci. Rep. 2016;6. ID 25438. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep25438

  14. Pignatelli D, Xiao F, Gouveia AM, Ferreira JG, Vinson GP. Adrenarche in the rat. J. Endocrinol. 2006;191(1):301-308.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Rizzino A, Wuebben EL. Sox2/Oct4: a delicately balanced partnership in pluripotent stem cells and embryogenesis. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 2016;1859(6):780-791.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Simandi Z, Horvath A, Wright LC, Cuaranta-Monroy I, De Luca I, Karolyi K, Sauer S, Deleuze JF, Gudas LJ, Cowley SM, Nagy L. OCT4 acts as an integrator of pluripotency and signal-induced differentiation. Mol. Cell. 2016;63(4):647-661.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Takahashi K, Tanabe K, Ohnuki M, Narita M, Ichisaka T, Tomoda K, Yamanaka S. Induction of pluripotent stem cells from adult human fibroblasts by defined factors. Cell. 2007;131(5):861-872.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Takahashi K, Yamanaka S. Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors. Cell. 2006;126(4):663-676.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Vierbuchen T, Ostermeier A, Pang ZP, Kokubu Y, Südhof TC, Wernig M. Direct conversion of fibroblasts to functional neurons by defined factors. Nature. 2010;463:1035-1041.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Yaglova NV, Tsomartova DA, Yaglov VV. Differences in production of adrenal steroid hormones in pubertal rats exposed to low doses of the endocrine disruptor DDT during prenatal and postnatal development. Biochemistry (Mosc). Suppl. Series B: Biomed. Chem. 2018;12(1):80-86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Yu J, Vodyanik MA, Smuga-Otto K, Antosiewicz-Bourget J, Frane JL, Tian S, Nie J, Jonsdottir GA, Ruotti V, Stewart R, Slukvin II, Thomson JA. Induced pluripotent stem cell lines derived from human somatic cells. Science. 2007;318:1917-1920.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, Research Institute of Human Physiology, Moscow, Russia

    N. V. Yaglova, S. S. Obernikhin, S. V. Nazimova & V. V. Yaglov

Authors
  1. N. V. Yaglova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. S. Obernikhin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. V. Nazimova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. V. V. Yaglov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to N. V. Yaglova.

Additional information

Translated from Kletochnye Tekhnologii v Biologii i Meditsine, No. 2, pp. 114-120, June, 2019

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yaglova, N.V., Obernikhin, S.S., Nazimova, S.V. et al. Role of Transcription Factor Oct4 in Postnatal Development and Function of the Adrenal Cortex. Bull Exp Biol Med 167, 568–573 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-019-04573-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-019-04573-2

Key Words

Search

Navigation