Diversity of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system and its hormonal genes.

The hypothalamic neurosecretory cells (NSCs) which produce and release neurohypophysial hormones are involved in controls of diverse physiological phenomena including homeostatic controls of unconscious functions and reproduction. The far and wide distribution of neurosecretory processes in the discrete brain loci and the neurohypophysis is appropriate for coordination of neural and endocrine events that are required for the functions of NSCs. The presence of dye couplings and intimate contacts among NSCs supports harmonious production and release of hormone to maintain the plasma level within a certain range which is adequate for a particular physiological condition. Neurosecretory cells integrate diverse input signals from internal and external sources that define this particular physiological condition, although reactions of NSCs vary among different species, and among different cell types. An input signal to NSC is received by specific receptors and transduced as unique intracellular signals, important for the various functions of neurohypophysial hormones. Orchestration of multiple intracellular signaling systems, activities of which are individually modulated by input signals, determines the rates of synthesis and release of hormone through regulation of gene expression. The first step of gene expression, i.e., transcription, is amenable for diverse reaction of NSCs, because the 5' upstream regions of genes encoding neurohypophysial hormones are highly variable.