Steroidogenic factor 1 acts at all levels of the reproductive axis

Transcriptional inhibition of steroidogenic factor 1 in vivo in Oreochromis niloticus increased weight and suppressed gonad development

Steroidogenic factor 1 (sf1) (officially designated as nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 [NR5A1]) is an important regulator of gonad development. Previous studies on sf1 in fish have been limited to cloning and in vitro expression experiments. In this study, we used antisense RNA to down-regulate sf1 transcription and sf1 protein expression. Down-regulation of sf1 resulted in an increase in body weight and inhibition of gonadal development in both males and females with the consequent lower gonadosomatic index compared to fish in the control group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the gonads of fish with down-regulated sf1 revealed fewer seminiferous tubules and sperm in the testis of males. In addition, the oocytes were mainly stage II and many of them were atretic follicle. We conducted comparative transcriptome and proteome analyses between the sf1-down-regulated group and the control group. These analyses revealed multiple gene-protein pairs and pathways involved in regulating the observed changes, including 44 and 74 differently expressed genes and proteins in males and females, respectively. The results indicated that dysfunctional retinal metabolism and fatty acid metabolism could be causes of the observed weight gain and gonad abnormalities in sf1-down-regulated fish. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using antisense RNA for gene editing in fish. This methodology allows the study gene function in species less amenable to gene editing as for example aquaculture species with long life cycles.

Expression and regulation of GnRHR2 gene and testosterone secretion mediated by GnRH2 and GnRHR2 within porcine testes

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone 2 receptor (GnRHR2) together with its cognate ligand involves in regulating reproductive behavior. However, little is known concerning the effect of transcription factor steroidogenic factor1 (SF-1) regulation on porcine GnRHR2 gene expression and GnRH2 regulation mechanism in testosterone secretion through GnRHR2. Our study demonstrated that GnRHR2 transcription levels were high in porcine testis. Immunohistochemistry analyses showed that GnRHR2 immunoreactivity was strong in the Leydig cells in boar testes. Two SF-1 binding sites were predicted in GnRHR2 promoter and the second site (-159/-149) was considered to be important for GnRHR2 promoter activity through site-directed mutagenesis. The binding of SF-1 to GnRHR2 promoter was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Overexpression and knockdown experiments revealed that SF-1 could up-regulate porcine GnRHR2 expression. DNA methylation of GnRHR2 promoter CpG island also specifically regulated GnRHR2 expression. Meanwhile, our study also demonstrated GnRH2 treatment promoted the expression of SF-1 and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and that this treatment stimulated cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation, regulated the expression of GnRHR2, especially that of GnRHR2-X1, and promoted testosterone secretion in porcine Leydig cells. We speculated that testosterone secretion mediated by GnRH2 and GnRHR2 (mainly GnRHR2-X1) was regulated by phosphorylated CREB interacting with SF-1 to control StAR expression. Taken together, the present study indicates that SF-1 and GnRH2 are the essential regulatory factors for GnRHR2 expression. This study also explores the regulation mechanism of testosterone secretion mediated by GnRH2 and GnRHR2 in porcine Leydig cells.

A novel role for zinc transporter 8 in the facilitation of zinc accumulation and regulation of testosterone synthesis in Leydig cells of human and mouse testicles

OBJECTIVE

Zinc is intimately involved in testosterone production. Zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) is found to be localized in insulin secretory granules as a β-cell specific Zn transporter. The effect of ZnT8 and related zinc accumulation in steroidogenesis, however, is still unknown. The present study aimed to explore whether ZnT8 plays a role in the facilitation of zinc accumulation and regulation of testosterone synthesis in testicles.

METHODS

Leydig cells were isolated from the testicles of human, CD-1 suckling and ZnT8-KO mice. Zn accumulation in mitochondria was induced by hCG stimulation. Transfection of hZnT8-EGFP and RNA interfere of mZnT8 were done in MLTC-1 cells. ZnT8 expression and its co-localization with steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein were analyzed with RT-PCR, Western blot and dual-fluorescent staining protocols. Serum testosterone levels in mice were determined with chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay.

RESULTS

ZnT8 was found to be presented in Leydig cells and up-regulated in suckling mouse Leydig cells and MLTC-1 cells after hCG administration, by which zinc accumulation occurred in mitochondria. ZnT8 gene silencing or knockout inhibited stimulated progesterone and testosterone production, reduced stimulated zinc accumulation and down-regulated phosphorylated steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) expression in Leydig cells. Furthermore, an inhibitor (H89) of PKA blocked hCG-stimulated progesterone caused by ZnT8 over-expression and zinc treatment.

CONCLUSION

The present study provided the first evidence that ZnT8 transports Zn into Leydig cell mitochondria with gonadotropin stimulation and suggests that ZnT8 may play a role in testosterone production via the PKA signaling pathway.

Conditional Deletion of Bmal1 in Ovarian Theca Cells Disrupts Ovulation in Female Mice

Rhythmic events in female reproductive physiology, including ovulation, are tightly controlled by the circadian timing system. The molecular clock, a feedback loop oscillator of clock gene transcription factors, dictates rhythms of gene expression in the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axis. Circadian disruption due to environmental factors (eg, shift work) or genetic manipulation of the clock has negative impacts on fertility. Although the central pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus classically regulates the timing of ovulation, we have shown that this rhythm also depends on phasic sensitivity to LH. We hypothesized that this rhythm relies on clock function in a specific cellular compartment of the ovarian follicle. To test this hypothesis we generated mice with deletion of the Bmal1 locus in ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) (Granulosa Cell Bmal1 KO; GCKO) or theca cells (TCs) (Theca Cell Bmal1 KO; TCKO). Reproductive cycles, preovulatory LH secretion, ovarian morphology and behavior were not grossly altered in GCKO or TCKO mice. We detected phasic sensitivity to LH in wild-type littermate control (LC) and GCKO mice but not TCKO mice. This decline in sensitivity to LH is coincident with impaired fertility and altered patterns of LH receptor (Lhcgr) mRNA abundance in the ovary of TCKO mice. These data suggest that the TC is a pacemaker that contributes to the timing and amplitude of ovulation by modulating phasic sensitivity to LH. The TC clock may play a critical role in circadian disruption-mediated reproductive pathology and could be a target for chronobiotic management of infertility due to environmental circadian disruption and/or hormone-dependent reprogramming in women.

Epigenetic control of gonadal aromatase (cyp19a1) in temperature-dependent sex determination of red-eared slider turtles

In the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta), a species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), the expression of the aromatase gene during gonad development is strictly limited to the female-producing temperature. The underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we identified the upstream 5'-flanking region of the aromatase gene, gonad-specific promoter, and the temperature-dependent DNA methylation signatures during gonad development in the red-eared slider turtle. The 5'-flanking region of the slider aromatase exhibited sequence similarities to the aromatase genes of the American alligator, chicken, quail, and zebra finch. A putative TATA box was located 31 bp upstream of the gonad-specific transcription start site. DNA methylation at the CpG sites between the putative binding sites of the fork head domain factor (FOX) and vertebrate steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) and adjacent TATA box in the promoter region were significantly lower in embryonic gonads at the female-producing temperature compared the male-producing temperature. A shift from male- to female-, but not from female- to male-, producing temperature changed the level of DNA methylation in gonads. Taken together these results indicate that the temperature, particularly female-producing temperature, allows demethylation at the specific CpG sites of the promoter region which leads the temperature-specific expression of aromatase during gonad development.

Endosulfan and flutamide impair testicular development in the juvenile Asian catfish, Clarias batrachus

Endosulfan and flutamide, a widely used pesticide and a prostate cancer/infertility drug, respectively, have an increased risk of causing endocrine disruption if they reach water bodies. Though many studies are available on neurotoxicity/bioaccumulation of endosulfan and receptor antagonism of flutamide, only little is known about their impact on testicular steroidogenesis at molecular level. Sex steroids play an important role in sex differentiation of lower vertebrates including fishes. Hence, a small change in their levels caused by endocrine disruptors affects the gonadal development of aquatic vertebrates significantly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of endosulfan and flutamide on testis-related transcription factor and steroidogenic enzyme genes with a comparison on the levels of androgens during critical period of catfish testicular development. We also analyzed the correlation between the above-mentioned genes and catfish gonadotropin-releasing hormone (cfGnRH)-tryptophan hydroxylase2 (tph2). The Asian catfish, Clarias batrachus males at 50 days post hatch (dph) were exposed to very low dose of endosulfan (2.5 μg/L) and flutamide (33 μg/L), alone and in combination for 50 days. The doses used in this study were far less than those used in the previous studies of flutamide and reported levels of endosulfan in surface water and sediments. Sampling was done at end of the treatments (100 dph) to perform testicular germ cell count (histology), measurements of testosterone (T) and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) by enzyme immunoassay and transcript quantification by quantitative real-time PCR. In general, treatments decreased the expression of several genes including testis-related transcription factors (dmrt1, sox9a and wt1), steroidogenic enzymes (11β-hsd2, 17β-hsd12 and P450c17), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and orphan nuclear receptors (nr2c1 and Ad4BP/SF-1). In contrast, the transcripts of cfGnRH and tph2 were elevated in the brain of all treated groups with maximum elevation in the endosulfan group. However, combination of endosulfan and flutamide (E+F) treatment showed minor antagonism in a few results of transcript quantification. Levels of T and 11-KT were elevated after flutamide and E+F treatments while no change was seen in the endosulfan group signifying the effect of flutamide as an androgen receptor antagonist. All the treatments modulated testis growth by decreasing the progression of differentiation of spermatogonia to spermatocytes. Based on these results, we suggest that the exposure to endosulfan and flutamide, even at low doses, impairs testicular development either directly or indirectly at the level of brain.

Transcriptional regulation of steroidogenic genes: STARD1, CYP11A1 and HSD3B

Expression of the genes that mediate the first steps in steroidogenesis, the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STARD1), the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, cytochrome P450scc (CYP11A1) and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Delta5-Delta4 isomerase (HSD3B), is tightly controlled by a battery of transcription factors in the adrenal cortex, the gonads and the placenta. These genes generally respond to the same hormones that stimulate steroid production through common pathways such as cAMP signaling and common actions on their promoters by proteins such as NR5A and GATA family members. However, there are distinct temporal, tissue and species-specific differences in expression between the genes that are defined by combinatorial regulation and unique promoter elements. This review will provide an overview of the hormonal and transcriptional regulation of the STARD1, CYP11A1 and specific steroidogenic HSD3B genes in the adrenal, testis, ovary and placenta and discuss the current knowledge regarding the key transcriptional factors involved.

In search of rat stem Leydig cells: identification, isolation, and lineage-specific development

Leydig cells (LCs) are thought to differentiate from spindle-shaped precursor cells that exhibit some aspects of differentiated function, including 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3betaHSD) activity. The precursor cells ultimately derive from undifferentiated stem LCs (SLCs), which are postulated to be present in testes before the onset of precursor cell differentiation. We searched for cells in the neonatal rat testis with the abilities to: (i) proliferate and expand indefinitely in vitro (self renew); (ii) differentiate (i.e., 3betaHSD and ultimately synthesize testosterone); and (iii) when transplanted into host rat testes, colonize the interstitium and subsequently differentiate in vivo. At 1 week postpartum, spindle-shaped cells were seen in the testicular interstitium that differed from the precursor cells in that they were 3betaHSD-negative, luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor (LHR)-negative, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR alpha)-positive. These cells were purified from the testes of 1-week-old rats. The cells contained proteins known to be involved in LC development, including GATA4, c-kit receptor, and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor. The putative SLCs expanded over the course of 6 months while remaining undifferentiated. When treated in media that contained thyroid hormone, insulin-like growth factor I, and LH, 40% of the putative SLCs came to express 3betaHSD and to synthesize testosterone. When transplanted into host rat testes from which LCs had been eliminated, the putative SLCs colonized the interstitium and subsequently expressed 3betaHSD, demonstrating their ability to differentiate in vivo. We conclude that these cells are likely to be the sought-after SLCs.

Gene expression in rat leydig cells during development from the progenitor to adult stage: a cluster analysis

The postnatal development of Leydig cells can be divided into three distinct stages: initially they exist as fibroblast-like progenitor Leydig cells (PLCs) appearing in the testis by Days 14-21; subsequently, by Day 35, they become immature Leydig cells (ILCs) acquiring steroidogenic organelle structure and enzyme activities but metabolizing most of the testosterone they produce; finally, as adult Leydig cells (ALCs) by Day 90, they actively produce testosterone. The factors controlling proliferation and differentiation of Leydig cells remain largely unknown, and the aim of the present study was to identify changes in gene expression during development through cDNA array analysis of PLCs, ILCs, and ALCs. By cluster analysis, it was determined that the transitions from PLC to ILC to ALC were associated with downregulation of mRNAs corresponding to 107 genes. The downregulated genes included cell-cycle regulators, e.g., cyclin D1 (Ccnd1); growth factors, e.g., basic fibroblast growth factor (Fgf2); growth-factor-related receptors, e.g., platelet-derived growth factor alpha receptor (Pdgfra); oncogenes, e.g., kit oncogene (Kit); and transcription factors, e.g., early growth response 1 (Egr1). Conversely, expression levels of 264 genes were increased by at least twofold. Most of these were related to differentiated function and included steroidogenic enzymes, e.g., 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (Hsd11b2); neurotransmitter receptors, e.g., acetylcholine receptor nicotinic alpha 4 (Chrna4); stress response factors, e.g., glutathione transferase 8 (Gsta4); and protein turnover enzymes, e.g., tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (Timp2). The detection of Hsd11b2 mRNA in the array was the first indication that this gene is expressed in Leydig cells, and parallel increases in Hsd11b2 mRNA and enzyme activity were recorded. Thus, gene profiling demonstrates that postnatal development is associated with changes in the expression levels of several different clusters of genes consistent with the processes of Leydig cell growth and differentiation.

Expression and Regulation of Fushi Tarazu Factor-1 and Steroidogenic Genes During Reproduction in Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus)1

Teleost fushi tarazu factor-1 (FTZ-F1) is a potential regulator of steroidogenesis. The present study shows sex-specific regulation of Arctic char fushi tarazu factor-1 (acFF1) and steroidogenic genes during reproductive maturation and in response to hormone treatment. A link between gonadal expression of acFF1, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and cytochrome P450-11A (CYP11A), was observed in the reproductive maturation process, as elevated acFF1 mRNA and protein levels preceded increased StAR and CYP11A transcription. Sex-specific differences were observed as estrogen treatment resulted in down-regulated levels of acFF1 mRNA in testis and male head kidney, whereas no significant effect was observed in females. 11-Ketotestosterone (11-KT) down-regulated CYP11A and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3betaHSD) in head kidney and up-regulated CYP11A in testis. StAR remained unaffected by hormone treatment. This suggests that acFF1 is controlled by 17beta-estradiol, whereas the effects on CYP11A and 3betaHSD are mediated by 11-KT. Coexpression of acFF1, StAR, and CYP11A was observed in head kidney, in addition to gonads, indicating correlation between these steroidogenic genes. StAR and acFF1 were also coexpressed in liver, suggesting a potential role in cholesterol metabolism. Although these results indicate conserved steroidogenic functions for FTZ-F1 among vertebrates, they also raise the question of additional roles for FTZ-F1 in teleosts.

The expression of the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor in spermatogenesis

Results from experiments using mouse models suggest that the role of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in spermatogenesis is the regulation of Sertoli cell proliferation and, ultimately, the size and spermatogenic capacity of the testis. The regulation of the expression of the FSH receptor (FSHR) gene is very cell specific and plays an initial role in the ultimate response of the Sertoli cells to FSH. The extreme cell specificity and the importance of the FSH response to spermatogenesis have led to an extensive characterization of the promoter of the FSHR gene. Several widely expressed transcription factors - including USF 1 and 2, GATA-1, and SF-1 and potential elements such as an E2F site and an Inr region - have been shown to contribute to the maximal transcription of the transfected FSHR gene. However, these experiments have failed to provide clues as to the cell-specific expression of the FSHR gene. In both cell transfections and in transgenic mice, the promoter can direct expression of transgenes promiscuously. The rodent FSHR promoter contains conserved CpG dinucleotides that were shown to be methylated in nonexpressing cells and tissue but unmethylated in Sertoli cells. The methylated CpG sites could interfere with the binding of general transcription factors and/or lead to a repressive chromatin structure in the nonexpressing cells. While yet-undiscovered cell-specific factors may play a role in the expression of the FSHR gene, repression and activation of local chromatin structure are likely to be involved.

Activation of the rat follicle-stimulating hormone receptor promoter by steroidogenic factor 1 is blocked by protein kinase a and requires upstream stimulatory factor binding to a proximal E box element

The receptor for the pituitary glycoprotein hormone FSH (FSHR) and the nuclear hormone receptor steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) play important roles in control of the hypothalamic-pituitary- gonadal axis. FSHR is essential for integrating the pituitary FSH signal to gonadal response, while SF-1 is an important transcriptional regulator of many genes that function within this axis and is essential for the development of gonads and adrenal glands. Given the critical role of SF-1 in regulation of the gonads and the coexpression of FSHR and SF-1 in Sertoli and granulosa cells, we examined the ability of SF-1 to regulate transcription of the FSHR gene. We found that SF-1 stimulated rat FSHR promoter activity in a dose-dependent and promoter-specific manner. Examination of various promoter deletion mutants indicated that SF-1 acts through the proximal promoter region and upstream promoter sequences. An E box element within the proximal promoter is essential for activation of the FSHR promoter by SF-1. This element binds the transcriptional regulators USF1 and USF2 (upstream stimulatory factors 1 and 2) but not SF-1, as shown by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. In addition, functional studies identified a requirement for the USF proteins in SF-1 activation of FSHR and mapped an important regulatory domain within exons 4 and 5 of USF2. Cotransfection studies revealed that activation of protein kinase A leads to inhibition of SF-1-stimulated transcription of FSHR, while it synergized with SF-1 to activate the equine LH beta-promoter (ebeta). Thus, stimulation of the cAMP pathway differentially regulates SF-1 activation of the FSHR and ebeta-promoters.

GATA factors differentially activate multiple gonadal promoters through conserved GATA regulatory elements

The GATA factors are a group of transcriptional regulators that play essential roles in cell differentiation, organ morphogenesis, and tissue-specific gene expression during development. The six vertebrate GATA factors are expressed in a broad spectrum of tissues, including the hemopoietic system, heart, gut, brain, placenta, pituitary, and gonads. Interestingly, GATA-like DNA-binding proteins are found in the gonads of several species, ranging from lower invertebrates to humans, thus supporting an evolutionary conserved and crucial role for these factors in gonadal development and function. Indeed, GATA factors are expressed from the onset of gonadal development and are later found in multiple cell lineages of both the testis and ovary. We now report that GATA-4 differentially activates transcription of several genes expressed in the gonads that encode either steroidogenic enzymes (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and aromatase), hormones (inhibin alpha and Müllerian inhibiting substance) and a transcription factor (SF-1) known to be essential for gonadal development and function. Thus, our results identify GATA-4 as an important regulator of gonadal gene transcription where its specificity of action is mediated through synergistic interactions with other transcription factors such as SF-1.

Expression of steroidogenic factor 1 in the testis requires an E box and CCAAT box in its promoter proximal region

Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), also known as adrenal 4-binding protein, is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor family that regulates transcription of genes encoding hormones and steroidogenic enzymes important to the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The mammalian Ftz-F1 gene encodes SF-1 and is required for development of adrenal glands and gonads. To better understand the mechanisms regulating this gene in the gonads, we have examined its expression in the testis and characterized the promoter region for SF-1 in two testicular cell types. SF-1 promoter activity was examined in primary cultures of Sertoli cells and cell lines representative of Sertoli and Leydig cells. Deletion mutagenesis of the promoter identified several regions: both 5' and 3' to the transcriptional start sites that are important for transcriptional activity. Two elements, an E box and a CCAAT box, were found to be important for SF-1 transcription in the testis. An oligodeoxynucleotide containing both of these elements bound three specific protein complexes. The binding of one complex required only sequences within the E box and cross-reacted with antibodies against the basic helix-loop-helix ZIP proteins USF1 and USF2. A second specific complex required sequences within both the E box and CCAAT box for efficient binding, while a third complex predominantly interacted with sequences within the CCAAT motif. The presence of multiple protein complexes binding these sites suggests that regulation through these elements may involve interactions with different factors that depend on the state of the cell and its environment.

General overview of mineralocorticoid hormone action

The adrenal cortex elaborates two major groups of steroids that have been arbitrarily classified as glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, despite the fact that carbohydrate metabolism is intimately linked to mineral balance in mammals. In fact, glucocorticoids assured both of these functions in all living cells, animal and photosynthetic, prior to the appearance of aldosterone in teleosts at the dawn of terrestrial colonization. The evolutionary drive for a hormone specifically designed for hydromineral regulation led to zonation for the conversion of 18-hydroxycorticosterone into aldosterone through the catalytic action of a synthase in the secluded compartment of the adrenal zona glomerulosa. Corticoid hormones exert their physiological action by binding to receptors that belong to a transcription factor superfamily, which also includes some of the proteins regulating steroid synthesis. Steroids stimulate sodium absorption by the activation and/or de novo synthesis of the ion-gated, amiloride-sensitive sodium channel in the apical membrane and that of the Na+/K+-ATPase in the basolateral membrane. Receptors, channels, and pumps apparently are linked to the cytoskeleton and are further regulated variously by methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquination, and glycosylation, suggesting a complex system of control at multiple checkpoints. Mutations in genes for many of these different proteins have been described and are known to cause clinical disease.

SF-1 (steroidogenic factor-1) and C/EBP beta (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-beta) cooperate to regulate the murine StAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory) promoter

The steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein mediates the rate-limiting step of steroidogenesis, which is the transfer of cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membrane. In steroidogenic tissues, StAR expression is acutely regulated by trophic hormones through a cAMP second messenger pathway, leading to increased StAR mRNA levels within 30 min, reaching maximal levels after 4-6 h of stimulation. The molecular mechanisms underlying such regulation remain unknown. We have examined the StAR promoter for putative transcription factor-binding sites that may regulate transcription in a developmental and/or hormone-induced context. Through sequence analysis, deoxyribonuclease I (DNAse I) footprinting and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs), we have identified two putative CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) DNA elements at -113 (C1) and -87 (C2) in the mouse StAR promoter. Characterization of these sites by EMSA indicated that C/EBP beta bound with high affinity to C1 and C2 was a low-affinity C/EBP site. Functional analysis of these sites in the murine StAR promoter showed that mutation of one or both of these binding sites decreases both basal and (Bu)2cAMP-stimulated StAR promoter activity in MA-10 Leydig tumor cells, without affecting the fold activation [(Bu)2cAMP-stimulated/basal] of the promoter. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that these two C/EBP binding sites are required for steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1)-dependent transactivation of the StAR promoter in a nonsteroidogenic cell line. These data indicate that in addition to SF-1, C/EBP beta is involved in the transcriptional regulation of the StAR gene and may play an important role in developmental and hormone-responsive regulation of steroidogenesis.

Functional assessment of the calcium messenger system in cultured mouse Leydig tumor cells: regulation of human chorionic gonadotropin-induced expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein

The steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein, a 30-kDa mitochondrial factor, is a key regulator of steroid hormone biosynthesis, facilitating the transfer of cholesterol from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane. StAR protein expression is restricted to steroidogenic tissues, and it responds to hormonal stimulation through different second messenger pathways. The present study was designed to explore the mechanisms of extracellular calcium (Ca2+) involved in the hCG-stimulated expression of StAR protein and steroidogenesis in a mouse Leydig tumor cell line (mLTC-1). Extracellular Ca2+ (1.5 mmol/liter) enhanced the hCG (50 microg/liter)-induced increases in StAR messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels (1.7 +/- 0.3-fold; 4 h), as monitored by quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting. The potentiating effect of Ca2+ on the hCG-stimulated StAR response correlated with the acute progesterone (P) response. In accordance, omission of Ca2+ from the extracellular medium by specific Ca2+ chelators, EDTA or EGTA (4 mmol/liter each), markedly diminished the hCG-stimulated P production. The Ca2+ effect on hCG-induced StAR mRNA expression was dramatically suppressed by 10 micromol/liter verapamil, a Ca2+ channel blocker. The Ca2+-mobilizing agonist, potassium (K+; 4 mmol/liter), greatly increased the hCG responses of StAR expression and P production, which conversely were attenuated by Ca2+ antagonists, further supporting the involvement of intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in these responses. The interaction of Ca2+ or K+ with hCG accounted for a clear increase in the StAR protein level (1.4-1.8-fold; 4 h) compared with that after hCG stimulation. Inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide (CHX) drastically diminished the hCG-induced StAR protein content, indicating the requirement for on-going protein synthesis for hCG action. The transmembrane uptake of 45Ca2+ was increased by 26% with hCG and was strongly inhibited by verapamil. [Ca2+]i moderately augmented the response to hCG in fura-2/AM-loaded mLTC-1 cells within 30-40 sec, reaching a plateau within 1-3 min. Interestingly, the calcium ionophore (A23187) clearly increased (P < 0.01) StAR mRNA expression, in additive fashion with hCG. Northern hybridization analysis revealed four StAR transcripts at 3.4, 2.7, 1.6, and 1.4 kb, with the 1.6-kb band corresponding to the functional StAR protein; all of them were up-regulated 3- to 5-fold upon hCG stimulation, with a further increase in the presence of Ca2+. The mechanism of the Ca2+ effect on hCG-stimulated StAR expression and P production was evaluated by assessing the involvement of the nuclear orphan receptor, steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1). Stimulation of hCG significantly elevated (2.1 +/- 0.3-fold) the SF-1 mRNA level, which was further augmented in the presence of Ca2+, whereas EGTA and verapamil completely abolished the increase caused by Ca2+. Cells expressing SF-1 marginally increased StAR expression, but coordinately elevated StAR mRNA levels in response to hCG and hCG plus Ca2+ compared with those in mock-transfected cells. On the other hand, overexpression of the nuclear receptor DAX-1 remarkably diminished (P < 0.0001) the endogenous SF-1 mRNA level as well as hCG-induced StAR mRNA expression. In summary, our results provide evidence that extracellular Ca2+ rapidly increases [Ca2+]i after hCG stimulation, presumably through opening of the transmembrane Ca2+ channel. Neither extracellular Ca2+ nor K+ alone has a noticeable effect on StAR expression and steroidogenesis, whereas they clearly potentiate hCG induction. The Ca2+-mediated increase in hCG involved in StAR expression and P production is well correlated to the levels of SF-1 expression. The stimulatory effect of hCG that rapidly increases [Ca2+]i is responsible at least in part for the regulation of SF-1-mediated StAR expression that consequently regulates steroidogenesis in mouse Leydig tumor cells.

Molecular mechanisms of thyroid hormone-stimulated steroidogenesis in mouse leydig tumor cells. Involvement of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein

Using a mouse Leydig tumor cell line, we explored the mechanisms involved in thyroid hormone-induced steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein gene expression, and steroidogenesis. Triiodothyronine (T3) induced a approximately 3.6-fold increase in the steady-state level of StAR mRNA which paralleled with those of the acute steroid response ( approximately 4.0-fold), as monitored by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay and progesterone production, respectively. The T3-stimulated progesterone production was effectively inhibited by actinomycin-D or cycloheximide, indicating the requirement of on-going mRNA and protein synthesis. T3 displayed the highest affinity of [125I]iodo-T3 binding and was most potent in stimulating StAR mRNA expression. In accordance, T3 significantly increased testosterone production in primary cultures of adult mouse Leydig cells. The T3 and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) effects on StAR expression were similar in magnitude and additive. Cells expressing steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) showed marginal elevation of StAR expression, but coordinately increased T3-induced StAR mRNA expression and progesterone levels. In contrast, overexpression of DAX-1 markedly diminished the SF-1 mRNA expression, and concomitantly abolished T3-mediated responses. Noteworthy, T3 augmented the SF-1 mRNA expression while inhibition of the latter by DAX-1 strongly impaired T3 action. Northern hybridization analysis revealed four StAR transcripts which increased 3-6-fold following T3 stimulation. These observations clearly identified a regulatory cascade of thyroid hormone-stimulated StAR expression and steroidogenesis that provides novel insight into the importance of a thyroid-gonadal connection in the hormonal control of Leydig cell steroidogenesis.

Congenital adrenal hypoplasia: clinical spectrum, experience with hormonal diagnosis, and report on new point mutations of the DAX-1 gene

X-linked congenital adrenal hypoplasia (AHC) is a rare developmental disorder of the human adrenal cortex and is caused by deletion or mutation of the DAX-1 gene, a recently discovered member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is frequently associated with AHC. AHC occurs as part of a contiguous gene syndrome together with glycerol kinase deficiency (GKD) and Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. The present series, collected over the past 2 decades, includes 18 AHC boys from 16 families: 4 with AHC, GKD, and Duchenne's muscular dystrophy; 2 with AHC and GKD; and 12 with AHC (5 young adults with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism). Most of the boys presented with salt wasting and hyperpigmentation during the neonatal period. Plasma steroid determinations performed in the first weeks of life often showed confusing results, probably caused by steroids produced in the neonates' persisting fetocortex. Aldosterone deficiency usually preceded cortisol deficiency, which explains why the patients more often presented with salt-wasting rather than with hypoglycemic symptoms. An ACTH test was often necessary to detect cortisol deficiency in the very young infants. In some patients, serial testing was necessary to establish the correct diagnosis. In 4 boys studied during the first 3 months after birth, we found pubertal LH, FSH, and testosterone plasma levels indicating postnatal transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis as in normal boys. Previous studies have shown that the DAX-1 gene is deleted in the AHC patients with a contiguous gene syndrome and is mutated in nondeletion patients. Most of the point mutations identified in AHC patients were frameshift mutations and stop mutations. In the 15 patients available for molecular analysis of the DAX-1 gene, there were large deletions in 6 patients and point mutations in another 7 patients. All of the point mutations identified in the present study resulted in a nonfunctional truncated DAX-1 protein. Two brothers with primary adrenal insufficiency and a medical history that strongly suggested AHC had no mutation in the DAX-1 gene. Thus, additional, as yet unknown genes must play a part in normal adrenal cortical development.

Temperature-dependent sex determination in the red-eared slider turtle, Trachemys scripta

Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in the red-eared slider turtle, Trachemys scripta, has been the subject of a variety of past studies. Incubation temperature appears to affect sex determination in a dose-dependent fashion. This suggests that temperature could be affecting a dosage-sensitive element in the sex-determination cascade. Sex determination in T. scripta is sensitive to estrogen, and data from many studies support the hypothesis that endogenous estrogen production may be involved in female sex determination. However, this hypothesis has not yet been evaluated through aromatase expression studies in this species. Several recent studies have cloned cDNAs for genes that could be involved in sex determination and/or sex differentiation. The cDNAs for SF-1 and MIS have been cloned in T. scripta, indicating that these may represent conserved elements in the sex-determination/sex-differentiation cascade of reptiles. The SOX9 cDNA also has been cloned in T. scripta (Spotila et al., '98), and it shows a sex-specific expression pattern. Future studies targeted at aromatase expression as well as the expression of factors such as SOX9, SF-1, and MIS will begin to provide a more comprehensive picture of the events involved in TSD in T. scripta. Further, such studies could help pinpoint the temperature-sensitive element(s).

Changes in testicular steroidogenic acute regulatory (STAR) protein, steroidogenic enzymes and testicular morphology associated with increased testosterone secretion in bulls receiving the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonist deslorelin

Testosterone secretion and the expression and relative contents of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein and steroidogenic enzymes cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 (P450SCC), 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta(5)-->delta(4)-isomerase (3 beta-HSD), and (17)alpha-hydroxylase cytochrome P450/C17-20 lyase (P450(17)alpha) were determined in testicular tissues of bulls treated with a LHRH agonist. Testis morphology and spermatogenesis were also examined. In Experiment 1, bulls (30-mo-old) received no treatment (control, n = 7) or were implanted for 10 days with the LHRH agonist deslorelin (n = 7). Bulls were castrated on Day 10 and testis tissues prepared for Western and Northern blotting. At castration, bulls implanted with deslorelin had greater plasma testosterone (5-fold) and testis content of testosterone (10-fold) compared with control bulls. Relative content (per micrograms total testis protein or RNA) of StAR protein, 3beta-HSD, P450SCC, and mRNA for P450(17)alpha in bulls treated with deslorelin ranged from 3- to 6-fold that of control bulls. In Experiment 2, bulls (20-mo-old) were left untreated (control, n = 6) or implanted with deslorelin (n = 12) for 120 days. On Day 120, bulls were castrated and right testis tissues prepared for morphology. Testis volume and weight were increased (P < 0.01) in bulls treated with deslorelin compared with control bulls. Stereological analysis revealed that this increase occurred in all compartments (seminiferous epithelium, lumen and interstitium) studied, but was significant (P < 0.01) only for the seminiferous epithelium. Absolute numbers of round spermatids per testis were increased (P < 0.05) in bulls treated with deslorelin compared with control bulls. Increased testosterone secretion in bulls treated with deslorelin was associated with increased testicular StAR protein and steroidogenic enzymes. Bulls treated long-term with deslorelin had a faster rate of testis growth and increased daily sperm production at the end of the experiment.