scholarly journals FOXA3, a Negative Regulator of Nur77 Expression and Activity in Testicular Steroidogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Hansle Kim ◽  
Sudeep Kumar ◽  
Keesook Lee

Biosynthesis of testosterone occurs mainly in the testicular Leydig cells. Nur77, an orphan nuclear receptor that is expressed in response to the luteinizing hormone/cyclic adenosine monophosphate (LH/cAMP) signaling pathway, is one of the key factors that regulate steroidogenesis in Leydig cells. The function of Nur77 is modulated through interaction with other proteins. FOXA3, a transcription factor that is crucial for male fertility, is also expressed in Leydig cells. Here, we sought to elucidate the role of FOXA3 in testicular steroidogenesis by focusing on its interaction with Nur77. LH/cAMP signaling induces the onset of steroidogenesis in Leydig cells but has a repressive effect on the expression of FOXA3. Overexpression of FOXA3 in MA-10 Leydig cells repressed cAMP-induced expression of Nur77 and its target steroidogenic genes (StAR, P450c17, and Hsd3β). Furthermore, FOXA3 suppressed Nur77 transactivation of the promoter of steroidogenic genes. In mouse primary Leydig cells, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of FOXA3 had similar effects and resulted in decreased production of testosterone. Taken together, these results suggest the role of FOXA3 in the regulation of steroidogenic genes in Leydig cells and fine-tuning steroidogenesis in the testis.

2008 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luc J Martin ◽  
Jacques J Tremblay

It is well established that stress, either physical or psychosocial, causes a decrease in testosterone production by Leydig cells. Glucocorticoids (Gc) are the main mediators of stress response and they convey their repressive effect on Leydig cells through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). So far, various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the mechanism of action of Gc on Leydig cell steroidogenesis including repression of genes involved in testosterone biosynthesis. Several steroidogenic genes, including steroidogenic acute regulatory (STAR) protein, have been shown to be repressed by Gc in a GR-dependent manner but the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we found that dexamethasone (Dex), a potent synthetic Gc, partly antagonizes the cAMP-dependent stimulation of the mouse Star promoter in MA-10 Leydig cells as revealed by transient transfection assays. This repression requires an element located at −95 bp previously implicated in the activation of the Star promoter by the nuclear receptors, NR4A1 and NR5A1. Dex was found to inhibit NR4A1-dependent transactivation of the Star promoter in Leydig cells by decreasing NR4A1, but not NR5A1, recruitment to the proximal Star promoter as determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Western blots revealed that Dex did not affect NR4A1 or NR5A1 expression in response to cAMP. These data suggest that NR4A1 would be associated with the GR in a transcriptionally inactive complex as previously demonstrated in pituitary corticotrope cells. Thus, our data provide new molecular insights into the stress-mediated suppression of testosterone production in testicular Leydig cells.


2011 ◽  
Vol 193 (6) ◽  
pp. 1009-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martijn Gloerich ◽  
Marjolein J. Vliem ◽  
Esther Prummel ◽  
Lars A.T. Meijer ◽  
Marije G.A. Rensen ◽  
...  

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a second messenger that relays a wide range of hormone responses. In this paper, we demonstrate that the nuclear pore component RanBP2 acts as a negative regulator of cAMP signaling through Epac1, a cAMP-regulated guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap. We show that Epac1 directly interacts with the zinc fingers (ZNFs) of RanBP2, tethering Epac1 to the nuclear pore complex (NPC). RanBP2 inhibits the catalytic activity of Epac1 in vitro by binding to its catalytic CDC25 homology domain. Accordingly, cellular depletion of RanBP2 releases Epac1 from the NPC and enhances cAMP-induced Rap activation and cell adhesion. Epac1 also is released upon phosphorylation of the ZNFs of RanBP2, demonstrating that the interaction can be regulated by posttranslational modification. These results reveal a novel mechanism of Epac1 regulation and elucidate an unexpected link between the NPC and cAMP signaling.


Reproduction ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 146 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Gao ◽  
Haixia Wen ◽  
Chao Wang ◽  
Qinglei Li

Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily signaling is essential for female reproduction. Dysregulation of the TGFβ signaling pathway can cause reproductive diseases. SMA and MAD (mothers against decapentaplegic) (SMAD) proteins are downstream signaling transducers of the TGFβ superfamily. SMAD7 is an inhibitory SMAD that regulates TGFβ signalingin vitro. However, the function of SMAD7 in the ovary remains poorly defined. To determine the signaling preference and potential role of SMAD7 in the ovary, we herein examined the expression, regulation, and function of SMAD7 in mouse granulosa cells. We showed that SMAD7 was expressed in granulosa cells and subject to regulation by intraovarian growth factors from the TGFβ superfamily. TGFB1 (TGFβ1), bone morphogenetic protein 4, and oocyte-derived growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) were capable of inducingSmad7expression, suggesting a modulatory role of SMAD7 in a negative feedback loop. Using a small interfering RNA approach, we further demonstrated that SMAD7 was a negative regulator of TGFB1. Moreover, we revealed a link between SMAD7 and GDF9-mediated oocyte paracrine signaling, an essential component of oocyte–granulosa cell communication and folliculogenesis. Collectively, our results suggest that SMAD7 may function during follicular development via preferentially antagonizing and/or fine-tuning essential TGFβ superfamily signaling, which is involved in the regulation of oocyte–somatic cell interaction and granulosa cell function.


1995 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Foresta ◽  
Roberto Mioni ◽  
Paola Bordon ◽  
Francesco Gottardello ◽  
Andrea Nogara ◽  
...  

Foresta C, Mioni R, Bordon P, Gottardello F, Nogara A, Rossato M. Erythropoietin and testicular steroidogenesis: the role of second messengers. Eur J Endocrinol 1995;132:103–8. ISSN 0804–4643 It has been demonstrated that erythropoietin (EPO) influences rat and human Leydig cell steroidogenesis, stimulating testosterone production through a direct and specific receptor-mediated mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism by which recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) exerts its stimulatory effect on rat Leydig cells. Recombinant human EPO did not induce, at any dose tested (10−10 to 10−13 mol/l), an increase in either cAMP or cGMP, suggesting that in Leydig cells the effect of rHuEPO does not involve the adenylate or guanylate–cyclase systems. The role of transmembrane calcium flux in rHuEPO-stimulated steroidogenesis was studied by evaluating the effect of calcium channel blocker, verapamil, and by the 45Ca2+ uptake method. Verapamil did not influence rHuEPO-induced testosterone secretion and rHuEPO did not modify calcium recycling, indicating that calcium transmembrane flux is not involved in the rHuEPO effect. The protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine (10, 30, 100 and 300 nmol/l) inhibited rHuEPO-stimulated testicular steroidogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. This indirect evidence suggests that the stimulatory effect of rHuEPO on rat Leydig cells may involve protein kinase C activation. Carlo Foresta, Institute of Internal Medicine, Via Ospedale Civile 105, 35128 Padova, Italy


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244553
Author(s):  
Sudeep Kumar ◽  
Hee-Sae Park ◽  
Keesook Lee

Leydig cells represent the steroidogenic lineage of mammalian testis, which produces testosterone. Genetic evidence indicates the requirement of Notch signaling in maintaining a balance between differentiated Leydig cells and their progenitors during fetal development. In primary Leydig cells, Notch1 expression decreases with testicular development, while the expression of its ligand, Jagged1, remains relatively unchanged, suggesting that the roles of Jagged1 extend beyond Notch signaling. In addition, Jagged1 is known to be processed into its intracellular domain, which then translocate to the nucleus. In this study, we investigated the effect of Jagged1 intracellular domain (JICD) on steroidogenesis in Leydig cells. The independent overexpression of JICD in MA-10 Leydig cells was found to inhibit the activity of cAMP-induced Nur77 promoter. In addition, JICD suppressed Nur77 transactivation of the promoter of steroidogenic genes such as P450scc, P450c17, StAR, and 3β-HSD. Further, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of JICD in primary Leydig cells repressed the expression of steroidogenic genes, consequently lowering testosterone production. These results collectively suggest that steroidogenesis in testicular Leydig cells, which is regulated by LH/cAMP signaling, is fine-tuned by Jagged1 during testis development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. M13-M25 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Schuler ◽  
Y Dezhkam ◽  
L Tenbusch ◽  
MC Klymiuk ◽  
B Zimmer ◽  
...  

Boars exhibit high concentrations of sulfonated estrogens (SE) mainly originating from the testicular-epididymal compartment. Intriguingly, in porcine Leydig cells, sulfonation of estrogens is colocalized with aromatase and steroid sulfatase (STS), indicating that de novo synthesis of unconjugated estrogens (UE), their sulfonation and hydrolysis of SE occur within the same cell type. So far in boars no plausible concept concerning the role of SE has been put forward. To obtain new information on SE formation and hydrolysis, the porcine testicular-epididymal compartment was screened for the expression of the estrogen-specific sulfotransferase SULT1E1 and STS applying real-time RT-qPCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The epididymal head was identified as the major site of SULT1E1 expression, whereas in the testis, it was virtually undetectable. However, SE tissue concentrations are clearly consistent with the testis as the predominant site of estrogen sulfonation. Results from measurements of estrogen sulfotransferase activity indicate that in the epididymis, SULT1E1 is the relevant enzyme, whereas in the testis, estrogens are sulfonated by a different sulfotransferase with a considerably lower affinity. STS expression and activity was high in the testis (Leydig cells, rete testis epithelium) but also present throughout the epididymis. In the epididymis, SULT1E1 and STS were colocalized in the ductal epithelium, and there was evidence for their apocrine secretion into the ductal lumen. The results suggest that in porcine Leydig cells, SE may be produced as a reservoir to support the levels of bioactive UE via the sulfatase pathway during periods of low activity of the pulsatile testicular steroidogenesis.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret S. Bynoe ◽  
Adam T. Waickman ◽  
Deeqa A. Mahamed ◽  
Cynthia Mueller ◽  
Jeffrey H. Mills ◽  
...  

CD73 is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-(GPI-) linked membrane protein that catalyzes the extracellular dephosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to adenosine. Adenosine is a negative regulator of inflammation and prevents excessive cellular damage. We investigated the role of extracellular adenosine in the intestinal mucosa during the development of Dextran-Sulfate-Sodium-(DSS-)salt-induced colitis in mice that lack CD73 (CD73−/−) and are unable to synthesize extracellular adenosine. We have found that, compared to wild-type (WT) mice, CD73−/−mice are highly susceptible to DSS-induced colitis. CD73−/−mice exhibit pronounced weight loss, slower weight recovery, an increase in gut permeability, a decrease in expression of tight junctional adhesion molecules, as well as unresolved inflammation following the removal of DSS. Moreover, colonic epithelia in CD73−/−mice exhibited increased TLR9 expression, high levels of IL-1βand TNF-α, and constitutive activation of NF-κB. We conclude that CD73 expression in the colon is critical for regulating the magnitude and the resolution of colonic immune responses.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pin-Yao Huang ◽  
Jingsong Zhang ◽  
Beier Jiang ◽  
Jhong-He Yu ◽  
Yu-Ping Lu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTRecognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) derived from invading pathogens by plant pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) initiates defense responses known as pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). Transcription factors (TFs) orchestrate the onset of PTI through complex signaling networks. Here, we characterize the function of ERF19, a member of the Arabidopsis thaliana ethylene response factor (ERF) family. ERF19 was found to act as a negative regulator of PTI against Botrytis cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst). Notably, overexpression of ERF19 increased plant susceptibility to these pathogens and repressed MAMP-induced PTI outputs. In contrast, expression of the chimeric dominant repressor ERF19-SRDX boosted PTI activation, conferred increased resistance to B. cinerea, and enhanced elf18-triggered immunity against Pst. Consistent with a negative role of ERF19 in PTI, MAMP-mediated growth inhibition was respectively weakened or augmented in lines overexpressing ERF19 or expressing ERF19-SRDX. Moreover, we demonstrate that the transcriptional repressor Novel INteractor of JAZ (NINJA) associates with and represses the function of ERF19. Our work reveals ERF19 as a key player in a buffering mechanism to avoid defects imposed by over-activation of PTI and a potential role for NINJA in fine-tuning ERF19-mediated regulation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 217 (4) ◽  
pp. 1249-1268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Gomis-Coloma ◽  
Sergio Velasco-Aviles ◽  
Jose A. Gomez-Sanchez ◽  
Angeles Casillas-Bajo ◽  
Johannes Backs ◽  
...  

Schwann cells respond to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) halting proliferation and expressing myelin proteins. Here we show that cAMP signaling induces the nuclear shuttling of the class IIa histone deacetylase (HDAC)–4 in these cells, where it binds to the promoter and blocks the expression of c-Jun, a negative regulator of myelination. To do it, HDAC4 does not interfere with the transcriptional activity of MEF2. Instead, by interacting with NCoR1, it recruits HDAC3 and deacetylates histone 3 in the promoter of c-Jun, blocking gene expression. Importantly, this is enough to up-regulate Krox20 and start Schwann cell differentiation program–inducing myelin gene expression. Using conditional knockout mice, we also show that HDAC4 together with HDAC5 redundantly contribute to activate the myelin transcriptional program and the development of myelin sheath in vivo. We propose a model in which cAMP signaling shuttles class IIa HDACs into the nucleus of Schwann cells to regulate the initial steps of myelination in the peripheral nervous system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Lagares ◽  
Germán Ceizel Borella ◽  
Uwe Linne ◽  
Anke Becker ◽  
Claudio Valverde

ABSTRACT Riboregulation has a major role in the fine-tuning of multiple bacterial processes. Among the RNA players, trans-encoded untranslated small RNAs (sRNAs) regulate complex metabolic networks by tuning expression from multiple target genes in response to numerous signals. In Sinorhizobium meliloti, over 400 sRNAs are expressed under different stimuli. The sRNA MmgR (standing for Makes more granules Regulator) has been of particular interest to us since its sequence and structure are highly conserved among the alphaproteobacteria and its expression is regulated by the amount and quality of the bacterium's available nitrogen source. In this work, we explored the biological role of MmgR in S. meliloti 2011 by characterizing the effect of a deletion of the internal conserved core of mmgR (mmgR Δ33–51). This mutation resulted in larger amounts of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) distributed into more intracellular granules than are found in the wild-type strain. This phenotype was expressed upon cessation of balanced growth owing to nitrogen depletion in the presence of surplus carbon (i.e., at a carbon/nitrogen molar ratio greater than 10). The normal PHB accumulation was complemented with a wild-type mmgR copy but not with unrelated sRNA genes. Furthermore, the expression of mmgR limited PHB accumulation in the wild type, regardless of the magnitude of the C surplus. Quantitative proteomic profiling and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that the absence of MmgR results in a posttranscriptional overexpression of both PHB phasin proteins (PhaP1 and PhaP2). Together, our results indicate that the widely conserved alphaproteobacterial MmgR sRNA fine-tunes the regulation of PHB storage in S. meliloti. IMPORTANCE High-throughput RNA sequencing has recently uncovered an overwhelming number of trans-encoded small RNAs (sRNAs) in diverse prokaryotes. In the nitrogen-fixing alphaproteobacterial symbiont of alfalfa root nodules Sinorhizobium meliloti, only four out of hundreds of identified sRNA genes have been functionally characterized. Thus, uncovering the biological role of sRNAs currently represents a major issue and one that is particularly challenging because of the usually subtle quantitative regulation contributed by most characterized sRNAs. Here, we have characterized the function of the broadly conserved alphaproteobacterial sRNA gene mmgR in S. meliloti. Our results strongly suggest that mmgR encodes a negative regulator of the accumulation of polyhydroxybutyrate, the major carbon and reducing power storage polymer in S. meliloti cells growing under conditions of C/N overbalance.


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