scholarly journals An inhibitory role for the protein kinase C pathway in ovarian steroidogenesis. Studies with cultured swine granulosa cells

1986 ◽  
Vol 239 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
J D Veldhuis ◽  
L M Demers

We have used primary cultures of swine granulosa cells to investigate the regulatory role of the protein kinase C pathway in the ovary. In this system, we observed the following. Swine granulosa cells bound [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate [(3H]PDB) specifically with high affinity [apparent Ki for 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) = 3.1 (2.1-4.7) nM] and low capacity [0.68 (0.34-0.99) pmol/10(7) cells]. The cytosol of granulosa cells contained functionally active protein kinase C capable of phosphorylating distinct proteins in response to stimulation with active phorbol ester. TPA and PDB induced dose-dependent inhibition (greater than 85%) of follicle-stimulating-hormone (FSH)-stimulated progesterone production. Half-maximally inhibitory concentrations were 0.10 and 0.75 nM for TPA and PDB respectively, whereas phorbol analogues that do not activate protein kinase C were not inhibitory. TPA did not impede cyclic AMP generation in response to FSH, cholera toxin or forskolin acutely (within 48 h), but did inhibit the stimulatory effects of 8-bromo cyclic AMP, insulin and oestradiol on progesterone biosynthesis. In the presence of maximally effective concentrations of 25-hydroxy-, 20 alpha-hydroxy- or 22R-hydroxy-cholesterol as exogenous sterol substrates for cholesterol side-chain cleavage, treatment with TPA suppressed pregnenolone, progesterone and 20 alpha-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one biosynthesis by more than 80%. The inhibitory effects of phorbol esters were not attributable to non-specific cytotoxicity, since prostaglandin F2 alpha production increased in the same cultures and aromatization of exogenously supplied testosterone to oestradiol was not suppressed. In intact granulosa cells, the effects of phorbol esters were mimicked by a synthetic non-diterpene diacylglycerol, 1-octanoyl-2-acetylglycerol, and the tumour promoter, mezerein, which specifically activates protein kinase C. We conclude that swine granulosa cells contain specific high-affinity receptors for phorbol esters that are functionally coupled to protein phosphorylation. Moreover, treatment with phorbol esters or non-phorbol activators of protein kinase C results in selective inhibition of cholesterol side-chain cleavage activity without impairing cyclic AMP generation or oestrogen biosynthesis.

1994 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
E L Yong ◽  
S G Hillier ◽  
M Turner ◽  
D T Baird ◽  
S C Ng ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The co-ordinated biosynthesis of progesterone and oestradiol in the human ovary is critical for reproductive cyclicity and eventual pregnancy. The crucial regulatory enzymes for progesterone and oestradiol biosynthesis in granulosa cells are the cholesterol side-chain cleavage (P450scc) and aromatase (P450arom) enzymes respectively. We utilized the cDNA sequences encoding P450arom and P450scc to examine the roles of FSH and LH, and their intracellular second messenger, cyclic AMP (cAMP), in regulating steroidogenic gene expression. Mature granulosa cells (aspirated before the onset of the endogenous LH surge) and granulosa lutein cells (obtained after an ovulatory dose of human chorionic gonadotrophin) were cultured for 4 days with FSH, LH or dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP). After the period of culture, total RNA was extracted from granulosa cells and Northern analyses were performed utilizing 32P-labelled cDNAs encoding P450arom and P450scc. Spent culture media were analysed for steroid and cAMP content. Both FSH and LH strongly stimulated P450arom mRNA expression and oestradiol production in mature granulosa cells. On the other hand, P450scc mRNA expression and progesterone biosynthesis were weakly induced by FSH; maximal synthesis occurred only in the presence of LH. With both gonadotrophins at equivalent concentrations, LH generated a 30-fold higher level of cAMP than FSH. Furthermore, the differential effects of FSH and LH on P450 mRNA expression were reproduced by the presence of low and high concentrations of dbcAMP respectively. LH (and high levels of dbcAMP) increased P450arom mRNA expression in mature granulosa cells but inhibited its accumulation in granulosa lutein cells. In contrast, it stimulated P450scc mRNA expression and progesterone synthesis in both mature granulosa and granulosa lutein cells. Therefore, FSH/low cAMP levels stimulated P450arom gene expression and oestradiol production, while LH/high cAMP levels maximally induced P450scc gene expression and function, in a development-related manner consistent with steroid production in vivo. These findings support the hypothesis that one set of genes (like P450arom) in human granulosa cells is regulated by FSH/low cAMP levels and another (like P450scc) by LH/high cAMP levels.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 263-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulf H. Lerner ◽  
Gustaf Brunius ◽  
Thomas Modeer

Recombinant human interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and bradykinin (BK) synergistically stimulate prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) formation in human gingival fibroblasts cultured for 24 h. Neither BK or IL-1β per se, nor their combinations, caused any acute stimulation of cellular cyclic AMP accumulation. BK, but not IL-1β, caused a rapid, transient rise of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), as assessed by recordings of fura-2 fluorescence in monolayers of prelabelled gingival fibroblasts. IL-1β did not change the effect of BK on [Ca2+]i. Ionomycin and A 23187, two calcium ionophores, synergistically potentiated the stimulatory effect of IL-1β on PGE2 formation. Three different phorbol esters known to activate protein kinase C also synergistically potentiated the action of IL-1β on PGE2 formation. Exogenously added arachidonic acid significantly enhanced the basal formation of PGE2. In IL-1β treated cells, the enhancement of PGE2 formation seen after addition of arachidonic acid, was synergistically upregulated by IL-1β. These data show that i) the synergistic interaction between IL-1β and BK on PGE2 formation is not due to an effect linked to an upregulation of cyclic AMP or [Ca2+]i; ii) the signal transducing mechanism by which BK interacts with IL-1β, however, may be linked to a BK induced stimulation of [Ca2+]i and/or protein kinase C; iii) the mechanism involved in the action of IL-1β may, at least partly, be due to enhancement of the biosynthesis of prostanoids mediated by an upregulation of cyclooxygenase activity.


1990 ◽  
Vol 267 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
R N Kolesnick

Previous studies showed that phorbol esters and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulated phosphatidylcholine synthesis via protein kinase C in GH3 pituitary cells [Kolesnick (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 14525-14530]. In contrast, 1,2-diacylglycerol-stimulated phosphatidylcholine synthesis appeared independent of protein kinase C. The present studies compare phosphatidylcholine synthesis stimulated by these agents with inhibition via the cyclic AMP system. The potent phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 10 nM) increased [32P]Pi incorporation into phosphatidylcholine at 30 min to 159 +/- 6% of control. The adenylate cyclase activator cholera toxin (CT; 10 nM) and the cyclic AMP analogue dibutyryl cyclic AMP (1 mM) abolished this effect. CT similarly abolished TRH-induced phosphatidylcholine, but not phosphatidylinositol, synthesis. This is the first report of inhibiton of receptor-mediated phosphatidylcholine synthesis by the cyclic AMP system. The 1,2-diacylglycerol 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol (diC8) also stimulated concentration-dependent phosphatidylcholine synthesis. DiC8 (3 micrograms/ml) induced an effect quantitatively similar to that of maximal concentrations of PMA and TRH, whereas a maximal diC8 concentration (30 micrograms/ml) stimulated an effect 3-4-fold greater than these other agents. CT decreased the effect of diC8 (3 micrograms/ml) by 80%. Higher diC8 concentrations overcame the CT inhibition. Similar results were obtained with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Additional differences were found between low and high concentrations of diC8. Low concentrations of diC8 failed to induce additive phosphatidylcholine synthesis with maximal concentrations of PMA, whereas high concentrations were additive. Hence, low concentrations of 1,2-diacylglycerols appear to be regulated similarly to phorbol esters, and higher concentrations appear to act via a pathway unavailable to phorbol esters.


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