Identification of differentially expressed genes in thyrotropin stimulated dog thyroid cells by the cDNA-AFLP technique

In dog thyrocytes in primary culture, thyrotropin (TSH), throng cAMP, positively controls proliferation and differentiation. As until now, key events and the genes involved in the action of TSH remain largely uncharacterized, our goal was to identify new differentially expressed genes in TSH-induced thyroid proliferation. Using cDNA-AFLP, we vizualized 105 different transcripts showing significant differential expression during the stimulation of dog thyrocytes with TSH for different times, in the presence of insulin. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses confirmed the pattern expression of 5 clones encoding known proteins: thrombospondine 1, TNFr1, RhoE, RalB, and annexin A2. These regulations provide molecular counterparts of in vivo physiological effects of TSH: angiogenesis (decreased thrombospondin 1), decreased apoptosis (decreased TNFR1) and actin filament disruption, macropinocytosis and thyroid hormone secretion (decreased RhoE). (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.