TGF  Signaling Pathway

Our work explores the autocrine role of inhibin as an antagonist of TGFb signaling in this process.  Inhibin is an essential component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.  Produced in granulosa and sertoli cells, it provides negative feedback to pituitary FSH synthesis and secretion.  In addition, inhibin plays an autocrine/paracrine role in both the adrenal cortex and gonad.  Inhibin null mice develop spontaneous gonadal tumors and when gonadectomized, adrenocortical blastomas.  We aim to elucidate how stem cells contribute to the development of the sex-steroid producing adrenocortical and gonadal neoplasms in inhibin null mice.