Transient hypothyroxinemia in juvenile glycoprotein hormone subunit B5 knock-out mice

CJJ van Zeijl, OV Surovtseva, WM Wiersinga… - Molecular and cellular …, 2010 - Elsevier
CJJ van Zeijl, OV Surovtseva, WM Wiersinga, A Boelen, E Fliers
Molecular and cellular endocrinology, 2010Elsevier
The heterodimer thyrostimulin, comprised of two novel glycoprotein hormone subunits GPA2
and GPB5, activates the TSH receptor. To understand its role in the regulation of the
hypothalamus–pituitary–thyroid (HPT-) axis, we evaluated juvenile and adult GPB5 knock-
out (GPB5−/−) and wild type mice (WT) during euthyroidism, hypothyroidism and
thyrotoxicosis. Surprisingly, juvenile euthyroid GPB5−/− mice displayed marked
hypothyroxinemia (25% lower serum T4, unchanged TSH) and also during thyrotoxicosis …
The heterodimer thyrostimulin, comprised of two novel glycoprotein hormone subunits GPA2 and GPB5, activates the TSH receptor. To understand its role in the regulation of the hypothalamus–pituitary–thyroid (HPT-) axis, we evaluated juvenile and adult GPB5 knock-out (GPB5−/−) and wild type mice (WT) during euthyroidism, hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis. Surprisingly, juvenile euthyroid GPB5−/− mice displayed marked hypothyroxinemia (25% lower serum T4, unchanged TSH) and also during thyrotoxicosis juvenile GPB5−/− mice had 25% lower serum T4, compared to WT. During hypothyroidism, despite similar serum T4, pituitary TSHβ mRNA was 2-fold lower in GPB5−/− mice compared to WT. Adult mice displayed increased pituitary deiodinase type 2 during euthyroidism and decreased serum T4 during hypothyroidism in GPB5−/−. Thus, lacking GPB5 results in moderate deviations of the HPT-axis. The more pronounced differences observed in juvenile mice compared to adult mice are in agreement with the notion that GPB5 has a role during development.
Elsevier