HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal My Folders Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Johnson, A.L. Articles by Bridgham, J.T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Johnson, A.L. Articles by Bridgham, J.T. Agricola Articles by Johnson, A.L. Articles by Bridgham, J.T.

Relationship Between Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein Expression and Progesterone Production in Hen Granulosa Cells During Follicle Development¹

^a Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556

The present studies were conducted to address cellular mechanisms responsible for regulating steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) expression and progesterone synthesis at maturational stages corresponding to both the time of hen follicle selection, as well as before and after the LH surge in preovulatory follicle granulosa cells. A recently published report has established that mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling induced by transforming growth factor (TGF) treatment blocks FSH-induced differentiation and StAR expression in cultured hen granulosa cells, whereas inhibitors of MAP kinase signaling enhance FSH-induced differentiation. The present in vitro studies demonstrate that in addition to MAP kinase signaling, activation of protein kinase C (PKC) blocks both FSH-induced StAR expression and the initiation of progesterone production in prehierarchal follicle granulosa cells, whereas the pharmacologic inhibitor of PKC, GF109203X, potentiates FSH-induced StAR expression and, as a consequence, the initiation of progesterone synthesis. Moreover, we demonstrate in granulosa cells collected from preovulatory follicles that although an acute increase in progesterone production in response to LH treatment requires rapid transcription and translation of StAR, the magnitude of progesterone production is rate-limited by one or more factors other than StAR (e.g., the P450 cholesterol side-chain enzyme). Finally, the rapid turnover of StAR protein, such as occurs following the withdrawal of LH, provides an additional mechanism for the tight regulation of progesterone production that occurs during the hen ovulatory cycle, and explains the rapid loss of steroidogenesis in the postovulatory follicle. In summary, data reported herein support the proposal that paracrine/autocrine factors (including but not necessarily limited to TGF) prevent premature expression of StAR in prehierarchal follicle granulosa cells by more than one receptor-mediated signaling pathway. Furthermore, subsequent to follicle selection into the preovulatory hierarchy, StAR transcription and translation is necessary but not sufficient for the full potentiation of the preovulatory surge of serum progesterone.

¹ This work was supported by grant 99-35203-7736 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by grant HD36095 from the National Institutes of Health to A.L.J.

² Correspondence: A.L. Johnson, Department of Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 369, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556. FAX: 574 631 7413; johnson.128{at}nd.edu

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Sen, L. Lv, N. Bello, J. J. Ireland, and G. W. Smith Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Accelerates Termination of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone-Induced Extracellularly Regulated Kinase 1/2 and Akt Activation by Regulating the Expression and Degradation of Specific Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatases in Bovine Granulosa Cells Mol. Endocrinol., December 1, 2008; 22(12): 2655 - 2676. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Olivero, E. Leiva-Salcedo, L. Devoto, and A. Stutzin Activation of Cl- Channels by Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Luteinized Granulosa Cells of the Human Ovary Modulates Progesterone Biosynthesis Endocrinology, September 1, 2008; 149(9): 4680 - 4687. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. L. Johnson, M. J. Haugen, and D. C. Woods Role for Inhibitor of Differentiation/Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Binding (Id) Proteins in Granulosa Cell Differentiation Endocrinology, June 1, 2008; 149(6): 3187 - 3195. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Nakao, S. Yasuo, A. Nishimura, T. Yamamura, T. Watanabe, T. Anraku, T. Okano, Y. Fukada, P. J. Sharp, S. Ebihara, et al. Circadian Clock Gene Regulation of Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein Gene Expression in Preovulatory Ovarian Follicles Endocrinology, July 1, 2007; 148(7): 3031 - 3038. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. C. Woods, M. J. Haugen, and A.L. Johnson Actions of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor/Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase and Protein Kinase C Signaling in Granulosa Cells from Gallus gallus Are Dependent upon Stage of Differentiation Biol Reprod, July 1, 2007; 77(1): 61 - 70. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. C. Woods and A. L. Johnson Phosphatase Activation by Epidermal Growth Factor Family Ligands Regulates Extracellular Regulated Kinase Signaling in Undifferentiated Hen Granulosa Cells Endocrinology, October 1, 2006; 147(10): 4931 - 4940. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Tosca, S. Crochet, P. Ferre, F. Foufelle, S. Tesseraud, and J. Dupont AMP-activated protein kinase activation modulates progesterone secretion in granulosa cells from hen preovulatory follicles. J. Endocrinol., July 1, 2006; 190(1): 85 - 97. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. C. Woods and A.L. Johnson Regulation of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone-Receptor Messenger RNA in Hen Granulosa Cells Relative to Follicle Selection Biol Reprod, March 1, 2005; 72(3): 643 - 650. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.T. Bridgham and A.L. Johnson Alternatively Spliced Variants of Gallus gallus TNFRSF23 Are Expressed in the Ovary and Differentially Regulated by Cell Signaling Pathways Biol Reprod, April 1, 2004; 70(4): 972 - 979. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]