Characterization of a MAPK scaffolding protein logic gate in gonadotropes

In the pituitary gonadotropes, both protein kinase C (PKC) and MAPK/ERK signaling cascades are activated by GnRH. Phosphoprotein-enriched in astrocytes 15 (PEA-15) is a cytosolic ERK scaffolding protein, which is expressed in LβT2 gonadotrope cells. Pharmacological inhibition of PKC and small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of Gαq/11 revealed that GnRH induces accumulation of phosphorylated PEA-15 in a PKC-dependent manner. To investigate the potential role of PEA-15 in GnRH signaling, we examined the regulation of ERK subcellular localization and the activation of ribosomal S6 kinase, a substrate of ERK. Results obtained by cellular fractionation/Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry revealed that GnRH-induced accumulation of phosphorylated ERK in the nucleus was attenuated when PEA-15 expression was reduced. Conversely, in the absence of GnRH stimulation, PEA-15 anchors ERK in the cytosol. Our data suggest that GnRH-induced nuclear translocation of ERK requires its release from PEA-15, which occurs upon PEA-15 phosphorylation by PKC. Additional gene-silencing experiments in GnRH-stimulated cells demonstrated that ribosomal S6 kinase activation was dependent on both PEA-15 and PKC. Furthermore, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of PEA-15 caused a reduction in GnRH-stimulated expression of early response genes Egr2 and c-Jun, as well as gonadotropin FSHβ-subunit gene expression. PEA-15 knockdown increased LHβ and common α-glycoprotein subunit mRNAs, suggesting a possible role in differential regulation of gonadotropin subunit gene expression. We propose that PEA-15 represents a novel point of convergence of the PKC and MAPK/ERK pathways under GnRH stimulation. PKC, ERK, and PEA-15 form an AND logic gate that shapes the response of the gonadotrope cell to GnRH.     

Modulatory effect of steroid hormones on GnRH-induced LH secretion by cultured rat pituitary cells.

The purpose of the present experiments was to examine the short- and long-term effects of estradiol-17 beta (E2), progesterone (P), and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), alone and in combination, on the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-induced luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion, using an ovariectomized rat pituitary cells culture model. After 72 h in steroid-free medium, pituitary cells were further cultured for 24 h in medium with or without E2 (1 nM), P (100 nM), or DHT (10 nM). Cultures were then incubated for 5 h in the absence or presence of 1 nM GnRH with or without steroids. LH was measured in the medium and cell extract by radioimmunoassay. The results show that the steroid hormones exert opposite effects on the release of LH induced by GnRH, which seems to be dependent upon the length of time the pituitary cells have been exposed to the steroids. In fact, short-term (5 h) action of E2 resulted in a partial inhibition (64% of control) of LH release in response to GnRH, while long-term (24 h) exposure enhanced (158%) GnRH-induced LH release. Similar results were obtained with DHT, although the magnitude of the effect was lower than with E2. Conversely, P caused an acute stimulatory action (118%) on the LH released in response to GnRH and a slightly inhibitory effect (90%) after chronic treatment. GnRH-stimulated LH biosynthesis was also influenced by steroid treatment. Significant increases in total (cells plus medium) LH were observed in pituitary cells treated with E2 or DHT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

大鼠促性腺激素细胞内蛋白激酶C的改变对黄体生成素mRNA表达的影响

目的:分析大鼠黄体生成素(LH)表达的受体后信号转导机制。方法:促性腺激素(GTH)细胞内蛋白激酶C(PKC)兴奋或抑制后,用促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)脉冲刺激,然后用实时荧光定量PCR方法测定细胞LH的β亚基(LHβ)mRNA的表达量,并与空白组比较。结果:LHβmRNA随着PKC活性的升高而显著升高,随着PKC活性的降低而显著降低。结论:GnRH脉冲刺激引起LHβmRNA表达,其受体后的信号转导是PKC-Ca2+途径。     

Physiological role of putative testicular gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH)

Evidence suggests that exogenous GnRH and agonist analogues have short-term stimulatory effects on rat Leydig cell function - when administered intratesticularly. Since rat Leydig cells possess GnRH receptors and their endogenous ligand has not yet been identified the physiological importance of the observations for testis function is unknown. To address this issue we have determined the consequences of blockade of testis GnRH receptors on Leydig cell function under both normogonadotrophic and hypogonadotrophic stimulation of the testis in vivo. A GnRH antagonist (ANT) was used to achieve receptor blockade but during continuous systemic infusion ANT occupied pituitary GnRH receptors and markedly reduced serum LH, FSH, testosterone, and intratesticular testosterone in adult and 30 d old immature male rats. These results were similar to those obtained by administration of a GnRH antiserum which did not bind to testis GnRH receptors. Thus, blockade of testis GnRH receptors during hypogonadotrophism did not produce additional inhibition of steroidogenesis by Leydig cells. However, direct continuous infusion of ANT into one testis produced greater than 90% occupancy of GnRH receptors while reducing GnRH receptors by only 50% in the contralateral testis. Unilateral intratesticular infusion did not reduce serum LH, FSH, Prolactin or testosterone levels despite 75% occupancy of pituitary GnRH receptors. Thus, both ANT infused and saline infused testes were exposed to the same gonadotrophic stimulants but in the former GnRH-R were essentially non-existent. Compared to the control testis, the ANT infused testis showed a 20-30% reduction in LH, FSH, lactogen receptors and 30-40% fall in testosterone content. Identical results were obtained in adult and 30 d-old male rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Dioxin silences gonadotropin expression in perinatal pups by inducing histone deacetylases: a new insight into the mechanism for the imprinting of sexual immaturity by dioxin

Maternal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) causes the impairment of reproduction and development in the pups. Our previous studies have revealed that maternal treatment with TCDD attenuates the fetal production of pituitary gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone) at gestational day (GD) 20, leading to the impairment of sexual behavior in adulthood. However, the mechanism underlying such a reduction has remained unknown until now. When pregnant rats at GD15 were given an oral dose of TCDD (1 μg/kg), the testicular expression of steroidogenic proteins was reduced between GD20 and postnatal days (PND) 2. In accordance with this, the pituitary expression of gonadotropin β-subunit and serum gonadotropin were also attenuated from GD20 to PND0 in a pup-specific fashion. To identify the target genes linked to a fetal reduction in gonadotropin β-subunit, we performed a DNA microarray analysis using the fetal pituitary and its regulatory organ, the hypothalamus. The results obtained showed that TCDD induced histone deacetylases (HDACs) in the fetal pituitary. In support with this, TCDD markedly deacetylated histones H3 and H4 twined around the promoter of the fetal LHβ gene. This effect was fetus- and LHβ-specific, and this was not observed in the maternal pituitary or for other pituitary hormone genes. Finally, an LHβ reduction caused by TCDD was completely restored by maternal co-treatment with valproic acid, an HDAC inhibitor. These results strongly suggest that the increased deacetylation of histone owing to HDAC induction plays a critical role in the TCDD-induced reduction in LHβ in the fetal pituitary.     

Immunoreactivity of gonadotrophs (FSH and LH Cells) and gonadotropin subunit gene expression in the male chub mackerel Scomber japonicus pituitary during the reproductive cycle

The gonadotropins (GtHs), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), are heterodimers composed of a common α subunit (GPα) and a unique β subunit (FSHβ or LHβ); they are synthesized in and secreted from gonadotrophs (FSH and LH cells) in the pituitary. Little is known about the roles of FSH and LH during spermatogenesis in perciform fishes. In this study, we examined immunoreactive changes in FSH and LH cells, and changes in the gene expression of the three gonadotropin subunits in the pituitary of male chub mackerel Scomber japonicus during testicular development. FSHβ-immunoreactive (ir) and LHβ-ir cell area were measured immuno-histochemically based on the FSH and LH cell-occupying area in the proximal pars distalis. The FSHβ-ir cell area increased significantly during spermiation, while FSHβ mRNA levels, already high at the beginning of spermatogenesis, increased further, peaking during spermiation. In contrast, LHβ-ir cell area and LHβ mRNA levels, which were low at the beginning of spermatogenesis, increased significantly during late spermatogenesis, peaking during spermiation. For both FSH and LH, GtHβ-ir cell area and GtHβ mRNA levels decreased until gonadal resting. GPα mRNA levels showed similar changes to LHβ mRNA levels. These results suggest that in the chub mackerel, FSH may play an important role in the early and late phases of spermatogenesis, and that LH may play a role during late spermatogenesis and spermiation. Moreover, our results demonstrate that changes in GtHβ-ir cell area were accompanied by similar changes in the expression of the FSHβ and LHβ genes, both of which increased during testicular development.     

Validation of radioimmunoassays for LH and FSH in the sooty mangabey (Cercocebus atys): Characterization of LH and the response to GnRH

Heterologous radioimmunoassays (RIA) for macaque LH and FSH were validated for the measurement of these hormones in the sooty mangabey and mangabey pituitary LH was characterized relative to rhesus monkey LH. Dilutions of a pituitary mangabey extract and a partially purified preparation of mangabey LH ran parallel to a rhesus monkey standard (LER 1909-2) in the ovine-ovine (o-o) LH assay but showed some deviation from parallelism in the rhesus monkey FSH assay. The LH potency of the mangabey extract and standard were six and 190 times more potent, respectively, than LER 1909-2 in the LH RIA. Mangabey LH was estimated to have a molecular weight of 40,000–42,000 daltons vs 35,000–38,000 daltons for rhesus LH on Sephadex G-100 chromatography. Plasma levels of radioimmunoreactive LH, FSH, and testosterone were assayed before and after a bolus administration of 25, 50, or 100 μg synthetic go-nadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) to adult male mangabeys. A significant increase in serum levels of LH was seen within 30 min with levels more than fourfold higher than the basal level of LH after administration of 100 μg GnRH. However, no consistent increases in plasma FSH values were detected. The integrated mean LH response above preinjection levels following 25, 50, or 100 μg GnRH was dose related. Serum levels of testosterone were also elevated after administration of GnRH, but peak concentrations of testosterone lagged behind peak levels of LH by approximately 30 min. These studies indicate that the heterologous RIAs may be used for measuring gonadotropins in the mangabey and that the male mangabey is apparently more sensitive to GnRH than the rhesus monkey.     

Inhibin α-subunit N terminus interacts with activin type IB receptor to disrupt activin signaling

Inhibin is a heterodimeric peptide hormone produced in the ovary that antagonizes activin signaling and FSH synthesis in the pituitary. The inhibin β-subunit interacts with the activin type II receptor (ActRII) to functionally antagonize activin. The inhibin α-subunit mature domain (N terminus) arose relatively early during the evolution of the hormone, and inhibin function is decreased by an antibody directed against the α-subunit N-terminal extension region or by deletion of the N-terminal region. We hypothesized that the α-subunit N-terminal extension region interacts with the activin type I receptor (ALK4) to antagonize activin signaling in the pituitary. Human or chicken free α-subunit inhibited activin signaling in a pituitary gonadotrope-derived cell line (LβT2) in a dose-dependent manner, whereas an N-terminal extension deletion mutant did not. An α-subunit N-terminal peptide, but not a control peptide, was able to inhibit activin A signaling and decrease activin-stimulated FSH synthesis. Biotinylated inhibin A, but not activin A, bound ALK4. Soluble ALK4-ECD bioneutralized human free α-subunit in LβT2 cells, but did not affect activin A function. Competitive binding ELISAs with N-terminal mutants and an N-terminal region peptide confirmed that this region is critical for direct interaction of the α-subunit with ALK4. These data expand our understanding of how endocrine inhibin achieves potent antagonism of local, constitutive activin action in the pituitary, through a combined mechanism of competitive binding of both ActRII and ALK4 by each subunit of the inhibin heterodimer, in conjunction with the co-receptor betaglycan, to block activin receptor-ligand binding, complex assembly, and downstream signaling.     

LH release by Cu and Ni salts and metal-GnRH complexes, in vitro

The present studies were undertaken to examine the effect of copper and nickel salts and their complexes with GnRH on LH release from the pig anterior pituitary cells in vitro. The potency of Cu-GnRH and Ni-GnRH binding to GnRH receptors with iodinated GnRH as a radioactive tracer was also verified. The incubation of pig pituitary cells with Cu and Ni acetate salts showed no effect of the studied ions on LH release at any concentration used. However, nickel salt at a lower dose (10(-10) and 10(-9) M) tended to decrease LH output. By contrast, the native GnRH as well as its metal complexes significantly stimulated LH release after three hours of treatment and Cu-GnRH was found to be the most effective. The results showed that Cu and Ni complexes with GnRH but not their acetate salts are effective in LH release from pig pituitary cells collected from adult female pigs.     

Transforming growth factor-β signaling confers hepatic stellate cells progenitor features after partial hepatectomy

Liver regeneration involves not only hepatocyte replication but progenitor aggregation and scarring. Partial hepatectomy (PH), an established model for liver regeneration, reactivates transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are primarily responding cells for TGF-β and resident in stem cell niche. In the current study, PH mice were treated with SB-431542, an inhibitor of TGF-β Type I receptor, aiming to address the role of TGF-β signaling on the fate determination of HSCs during liver regeneration. After PH, control mice exhibited HSCs activation, progenitor cells accumulation, and a fraction of HSCs acquired the phenotype of hepatocyte or cholangiocyte. Blocking TGF-β signaling delayed proliferation, impaired progenitor response, and scarring repair. In SB-431542 group, merely no HSCs were found coexpressed progenitor makers, such as SOX9 and AFP. Inhibition of TGF-β pathway disturbed the epithelial-mesenchymal transitions and diminished the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin as well as the expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 in HSC during liver regeneration. We identify a key role of TGF-β signaling on promoting HSC transition, which subsequently becomes progenitor for generating liver epithelial cells after PH. This process might interact with an acknowledged stem cell function signaling, Wnt/β-catenin.     

Direct kisspeptin-10 stimulation on luteinizing hormone secretion from bovine and porcine anterior pituitary cells

Kisspeptins are peptide hormones encoded by the KiSS-1 gene and act as the principal positive regulator of the reproductive axis by directly stimulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuron activity. However, peripheral administration, as well as central administration, of kisspeptin stimulates luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in some mammalian species. In order to evaluate the direct effects of kisspeptin-10 (the minimal kisspeptin sequence necessary for receptor activation) on LH secretion from bovine and porcine anterior pituitary (AP) cells, LH-releasing effects of kisspeptin-10 on AP cells were compared with GnRH in vitro. The AP cells were prepared from 1-month-old intact male calves, 8-month-old castrated male calves, or 6-month-old barrows, and then the cells were incubated for 2h with the peptides. The 1000 nM and 10,000 nM, but not lower concentrations, of kisspeptin-10 significantly stimulated LH secretion from the bovine AP cells (P<0.05). The 100 nM and 1000 nM, but not lower concentrations, of kisspeptin-10 significantly stimulated LH secretion from porcine AP cells (P<0.05). As 10nM of GnRH strongly stimulated LH secretion from all AP cells tested in this study, the present results suggest that kisspeptin-10 has a direct, but weak, stimulating effect on LH secretion in bovine and porcine AP cells. The present study is the first to examine the direct actions of kisspeptin on the bovine and porcine pituitary gland as far as we know. Kisspeptin might have other actions on the pituitary because the pituitary has multiple roles.     

Immunoreactive dynorphin-A in bovine anterior pituitary and its in vitro release

The anterior lobe (AL) of the bovine pituitary contained and released, during in vitro culture, a form of immunoreactive dynorphin-A (ir-DYN-A) larger than that occurring in neural tissue. Bovine AL tissue from intact females contained less ir-DYN-A than did AL tissue from castrated males. Enzymatically dispersed AL cells contained and released ir-DYN-A in vitro. Preincubation of dispersed AL cells for 18 hr, rather than 1.5 hr, increased the content and release of ir-DYN-A as well as LH. Addition of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to tissue slices or dispersed cells stimulated release of LH, but in contrast to published observations from rat AL, GnRH had no effect on release of ir-DYN-A. Addition of estradiol-17 beta, with or without progesterone, increased release of ir-DYN-A but not LH during 2-hr cultures. In summary, bovine AL contains and releases in vitro a large molecular weight form of ir-DYN-A. Although this ir-DYN-A was not coreleased with LH, a reproductive role was suggested by in vivo and in vitro effects of gonadal hormones on ir-DYN-A in the bovine anterior pituitary.     

Effects of thymulin and GnRH on the release of gonadotropins by in vitro pituitary cells obtained from rats in each day of estrous cycle

The effects of thymulin and GnRH on FSH and LH release were studied in suspension cultures of anterior pituitary cells from female adult rats sacrificed on each day of the estrous cycle. The spontaneous release of gonadotropins by pituitaries, as well as their response to GnRH or thymulin addition, fluctuated during the estrous cycle. Adding thymulin to pituitary cells from rats in diestrus 1 increased the concentration of FSH; while in cells from rats in estrus, FSH level decreased. Thymulin had a stimulatory effect on the basal concentration of LH during most days of the estrous cycle. Adding GnRH increased FSH release in cells from rats in diestrus 1, diestrus 2, or proestrus, and resulted in higher LH levels in cells obtained from rats in all days of the estrous cycle. Compared to the GnRH treatment, the simultaneous addition of thymulin and GnRH to cells from rats in diestrus 1, diestrus 2, or proestrus resulted in lower FSH concentrations. Similar results were observed in the LH release by cells from rats in diestrus 1, while in cells from rats in proestrus or estrus, LH concentrations increased. A directly proportional relation between progesterone serum levels and the effects of thymulin on FSH release was observed. These data suggest that thymulin plays a dual role in the release of gonadotropins, and that its effects depend on the hormonal status of the donor's pituitary.     

Effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) on the cytodifferentiation of gonadotropes in rat adenohypophysial primordia in organ culture

The effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) on the development of gonadotropes were investigated by the use of organ culture and by means of immunocytochemistry and radioimmunoassay. Pituitary primordia from rat fetuses were cultured in a medium with or without 10^-9 M GnRH during the first 24 h of culture. The ratio of the number of immunoreactive LH cells to the total number of cells in the explants derived from 13.5-day fetuses was increased by the GnRH treatment after 6 or 8 days of culture, while the total number of cells was not altered. LH released into the medium and LH content of explants were not affected by the GnRH treatment. Subsequent treatment with 10^-9 M GnRH for 4 h after 7 days of culture resulted in a marked release of LH, accompanying a significant decline in LH content, in both explants exposed or unexposed to the first GnRH treatment. However, the former explants contained a lower amount of LH than the latter explants. The present results indicate that pituitary primordia at 13.5 days of gestation are capable to respond to GnRH, and that GnRH is effective in stimulating the responsiveness of gonadotropes to GnRH during early pituitary cytodifferentiation.     

Effect of neuropeptide Y on GnRH-induced LH release from bovine anterior pituitary cell cultures derived from heifers in a follicular,luteal or ovariectomized state

Objectives were to determine if neuropeptide Y (NPY) had direct effects GnRH induced secretion of LH from the anterior pituitary gland, and if endogenous steroids modulated the effect of NPY. To accomplish these objectives, 15 Hereford heifers were assigned to one of three ovarian status groups: follicular, luteal, or ovariectomized. One animal from each of the three ovarian status groups was slaughtered on each of 5 days and anterior pituitary gland harvested. Anterior pituitary gland cells within ovarian status were equally distributed and randomly assigned to one of three cell culture treatments: no NPY or GnRH (control), 10 nM GnRH, or 100 nM NPY+10 nM GnRH. Anterior pituitary cell cultures were incubated with or without NPY for 4 h and further incubated for an additional 2 h with or without GnRH and supernatant collected for quantification of LH. Treatment of anterior pituitary cell cultures with GnRH or GnRH+NPY did not affect LH release in cultures obtained from follicular (S.E.=5%; P=0.58) or ovariectomized (S.E.=7%; P=0.22) heifers. Both GnRH and GnRH+NPY increased LH release from anterior pituitary cell cultures from heifers in the luteal phase (S.E.=14%; P < or = 0.05) compared to control cultures. Cultures from luteal phase heifers treated with GnRH did not differ from those treated with GnRH+NPY (P=0.34). These data provide evidence to suggest that effects of NPY on LH release may occur primarily at the level of the hypothalamus.