Bakke Lab

More specifically, we are interested in understanding the molecular program (transcription factors/epigenetic factors/signalling molecules) directing development and normal function of steroidogenic tissues (i.e. adrenal cortex and gonads). Nuclear receptors constitute the largest superfamily of transcription factors, which play fundamental roles in the development and function of in all types of tissues. The nuclear receptor Steroidogenic Factor-1 (SF-1) is a tissue-restricted nuclear receptor, expressed at the earliest developmental stages of steroidogenic tissues. SF-1 is established as a critical factor in organogenesis of the adrenal cortex and gonads, and for its key role in the transcriptional regulation of steroidogenesis-regulating hormones, steroidogenic enzymes and cholesterol transporters. Thus, studying the steroidogenic organs, and the role of nuclear receptors, with emphasis on SF-1, provide insight at both the developmental and molecular level of lineage commitment.