The mechanisms that lead to the steroidogenic differences in the human fetal adrenal (HFA) and adult adrenal gland are not known. However, gene expression clearly plays a critical role in defining their distinct steroidogenic and structural phenotypes. We used DNA microarrays to compare expression levels of several thousand transcripts between the HFA and adult adrenal gland. Total RNA was isolated from 18 HFA and 12 adult adrenal glands. Samples of total RNA were used to make five pools of poly A+ RNA (mRNA). Gene profiling was done using five independent microarrays that contained between 7075 and 9182 cDNA elements. Sixty-nine transcripts were found to have a greater than 2.5-fold difference in expression between HFA and adult adrenals. The largest differences were observed for transcripts that encode IGF-II (25-fold higher in HFA) and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (24-fold higher in adult). Among the other genes, transcripts related to sterol biosynthesis or to growth and development were higher in the HFA than adult adrenals. Transcripts concerned with cellular immunity and signal transduction were preferentially expressed in the adult adrenal. The vast majority of the 69 transcripts have not been studied with regard to adrenal function. Thus, these gene profiles provide valuable information that could help define the mechanisms that control adrenal function.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. G. Romero, S. Rilli, M. W. Plonczynski, L. L. Yanes, M. Y. Zhou, E. P. Gomez-Sanchez, and C. E. Gomez-Sanchez Adrenal transcription regulatory genes modulated by angiotensin II and their role in steroidogenesis Physiol Genomics, June 19, 2007; 30(1): 26 - 34. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. N. West, G. A. Neale, S. Pounds, B. C. Figueredo, C. Rodriguez Galindo, M. A. D. Pianovski, A. G. Oliveira Filho, D. Malkin, E. Lalli, R. Ribeiro, et al. Gene Expression Profiling of Childhood Adrenocortical Tumors Cancer Res., January 15, 2007; 67(2): 600 - 608. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M.-C. Battista, C. Roberge, M. Otis, and N. Gallo-Payet Seladin-1 expression in rat adrenal gland: effect of adrenocorticotropic hormone treatment J. Endocrinol., January 1, 2007; 192(1): 53 - 66. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. R.H. de Bruijn, S. V. Allander, A. H.A. van Dijk, M. P. Willemse, J. Thijssen, J. J.M. van Groningen, P. S. Meltzer, and A. Geurts van Kessel The Synovial Sarcoma-Associated SS18-SSX2 Fusion Protein Induces Epigenetic Gene (De)Regulation Cancer Res., October 1, 2006; 66(19): 9474 - 9482. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Ishimoto, M. O. Muench, T. Higuchi, K. Minegishi, M. Tanaka, Y. Yoshimura, and R. B. Jaffe Midkine, a Heparin-Binding Growth Factor, Selectively Stimulates Proliferation of Definitive Zone Cells of the Human Fetal Adrenal Gland J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2006; 91(10): 4050 - 4056. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. G. Romero, M. W. Plonczynski, E. P. Gomez-Sanchez, L. L. Yanes, and C. E. Gomez-Sanchez RGS2 Is Regulated by Angiotensin II and Functions as a Negative Feedback of Aldosterone Production in H295R Human Adrenocortical Cells Endocrinology, August 1, 2006; 147(8): 3889 - 3897. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Horvath, L. Mathyakina, Q. Vong, V. Baxendale, A. L. Y. Pang, W.-Y. Chan, and C. A. Stratakis Serial Analysis of Gene Expression in Adrenocortical Hyperplasia Caused by a Germline PRKAR1A Mutation J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., February 1, 2006; 91(2): 584 - 596. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. H. Bassett, T. Suzuki, H. Sasano, C. J. M. de Vries, P. T. Jimenez, B. R. Carr, and W. E. Rainey The Orphan Nuclear Receptor NGFIB Regulates Transcription of 3{beta}-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF ADRENAL FUNCTIONAL ZONATION J. Biol. Chem., September 3, 2004; 279(36): 37622 - 37630. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Lu, T. Suzuki, Y. Yoshikawa, O. Murakami, Y. Miki, T. Moriya, M. H. Bassett, W. E. Rainey, Y. Hayashi, and H. Sasano Nur-Related Factor 1 and Nerve Growth Factor-Induced Clone B in Human Adrenal Cortex and Its Disorders J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 2004; 89(8): 4113 - 4118. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Torres-Farfan, H. G. Richter, A. M. Germain, G. J. Valenzuela, C. Campino, P. Rojas-Garcia, M. L. Forcelledo, F. Torrealba, and M. Seron-Ferre Maternal melatonin selectively inhibits cortisol production in the primate fetal adrenal gland J. Physiol., February 1, 2004; 554(3): 841 - 856. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. S. Rehman, S. Yin, B. A. Mayhew, R.A. Word, and W. E. Rainey Human myometrial adaptation to pregnancy: cDNA microarray gene expression profiling of myometrium from non-pregnant and pregnant women Mol. Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2003; 9(11): 681 - 700. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. S. Rehman, B. R. Carr, and W. E. Rainey Profiling the Steroidogenic Pathway in Human Fetal and Adult Adrenals Reproductive Sciences, September 1, 2003; 10(6): 372 - 380. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. P. Leo, S. Y. Hsu, and A. J. W. Hsueh Hormonal Genomics Endocr. Rev., June 1, 2002; 23(3): 369 - 381. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]