Brain atlas for glycoprotein hormone receptors at single-transcript level.

There is increasing evidence that anterior pituitary hormones, traditionally thought to have unitary functions in regulating single endocrine targets, act on multiple somatic tissues, such as bone, fat, and liver. There is also emerging evidence for anterior pituitary hormone action on brain receptors in mediating central neural and peripheral somatic functions. Here, we have created the most comprehensive neuroanatomical atlas on the expression of TSHR, LHCGR, and FSHR. We have used RNAscope, a technology that allows the detection of mRNA at single-transcript level, together with protein level validation, to document expression in 173 and expression in 353 brain regions, nuclei and subnuclei identified using the . We also identified transcripts in 401 brain regions, nuclei and subnuclei. Complementarily, we used ViewRNA, another single-transcript detection technology, to establish the expression of in human brain samples, where transcripts were co-localized in -positive neurons. In addition, we show high expression for all three receptors in the ventricular region-with yet unknown functions. Intriguingly, and expression in the ependymal layer of the third ventricle was similar to that of the thyroid follicular cells and testicular Sertoli cells, respectively. In contrast, was localized to NeuN-positive neurons in the granular layer of the dentate gyrus in murine and human brain-both are Alzheimer's disease-vulnerable regions. Our atlas thus provides a vital resource for scientists to explore the link between the stimulation or inactivation of brain glycoprotein hormone receptors on somatic function. New actionable pathways for human disease may be unmasked through further studies.