Cyclins and their related proteins in pituitary tumourigenesis

Abstract

Pituitary tumours are benign neoplasms that may cause major endocrine dysfunction. Transgenic disruption of the cell cycle machinery frequently leads to pituitary adenoma formation in animal models. The molecular analysis of human pituitary tumours has found various alterations in the expression of cell cycle regulators: cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases and their inhibitors. There are also different mechanisms (e.g. hypermethylation, frameshift mutations, increased proteasome degradation) responsible for changed expression in cyclin mRNA and protein. It is probable that the primary initiating events lie beyond the cell cycle and may be related to co-activation of Akt, MAP-kinase and beta-catenin pathways. Nevertheless, molecular CDK inhibitors may play a role in pituitary tumour treatment in the future.