The anterior pituitary gland is composed of five types of hormone-producing cells and folliculo-stellate cells. Folliculo-stellate cells do not produce anterior pituitary hormones but they are thought to play important roles as stem cells, phagocytes, or supporting cells of hormone-producing cells in the anterior pituitary. S100β protein has been used as a folliculo-stellate cell marker in some animals, including rats. However, since no reliable molecular marker for folliculo-stellate cells has been reported in mice, genetic approaches for the investigation of folliculo-stellate cells in mice are not yet available. Aldolase C/Zebrin II is a brain-type isozyme and is a fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase. In the present study, we first used immunohistochemistry to verify that aldolase C was produced in the anterior pituitary of rats. Moreover, using transgenic rats expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of the S100β gene promoter, we identified aldolase C-immunoreactive signals in folliculo-stellate cells and marginal cells located in the parenchyma of the anterior pituitary and around Rathke’s cleft, respectively. We also identified aldolase C-expressing cells in the mouse pituitary using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Aldolase C was not produced in any pituitary hormone-producing cells, while aldolase C-immunopositive signal co-localized with E-cadherin- and SOX2-positive cells. Using post-embedding immunoelectron microscopy, aldolase C-immunoreactive products were observed in the cytoplasm of marginal cells and folliculo-stellate cells of the mouse pituitary. Taken together, aldolase C is a common folliculo-stellate cell marker in the anterior pituitary gland of rodents.

中文翻译：

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醛缩酶 C 是啮齿动物垂体中滤泡星状细胞的新型分子标志物

垂体前叶由五种激素产生细胞和卵泡星状细胞组成。卵泡星状细胞不产生垂体前叶激素，但被认为在垂体前叶中作为干细胞、吞噬细胞或激素产生细胞的支持细胞发挥重要作用。S100β 蛋白已被用作某些动物（包括大鼠）的毛囊星状细胞标记物。然而，由于没有可靠的小鼠卵泡星状细胞分子标记的报道，因此尚无用于研究小鼠卵泡星状细胞的遗传方法。醛缩酶 C/Zebrin II 是一种脑型同工酶，是果糖 1,6-二磷酸醛缩酶。在本研究中，我们首先使用免疫组织化学来验证醛缩酶 C 是在大鼠的垂体前叶中产生的。而且，使用在 S100β 基因启动子控制下表达绿色荧光蛋白的转基因大鼠，我们分别在位于垂体前叶实质和 Rathke 裂隙周围的滤泡星状细胞和边缘细胞中鉴定了醛缩酶 C 免疫反应信号。我们还使用免疫组织化学和原位杂交在小鼠垂体中鉴定了表达醛缩酶 C 的细胞。醛缩酶 C 不在任何垂体激素产生细胞中产生，而醛缩酶 C 免疫阳性信号与 E-钙粘蛋白和 SOX2 阳性细胞共定位。使用后嵌入免疫电子显微镜，在小鼠垂体的边缘细胞和滤泡星状细胞的细胞质中观察到醛缩酶 C 免疫反应产物。综合起来，