1
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Watts HE, Cornelius JM. Toward understanding the endocrine regulation of diverse facultative migration strategies. Horm Behav 2024; 158:105465. [PMID: 38061233 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Migration is an important event in the annual cycle of many animals that facilitates the use of resources that vary across space and time. It can occur with regular and predictable timing, as in obligate migration, or with much greater flexibility, as in facultative migration. Most research aimed at understanding the endocrine mechanisms regulating the transition to a migratory stage has focused on obligate migration, whereas less is known about facultative forms of migration. One challenge for research into the endocrine regulation of facultative migration is that facultative migrations encompass a diverse array of migratory movements. Here, we present a framework to describe and conceptualize variation in facultative migrations that focuses on conditions at departure. Within the context of this framework, we review potential endocrine mechanisms involved in the initiation of facultative migrations in vertebrates. We first focus on glucocorticoids, which have been the subject of most research on the topic. We then examine other potential hormones and neurohormones that have received less attention, but are exciting candidates to consider. We conclude by highlighting areas where future research is particularly needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E Watts
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
| | - Jamie M Cornelius
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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2
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Kollerov V, Shutov A, Kazantsev A, Donova M. Hydroxylation of pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone by zygomycete Backusella lamprospora VKM F-944: selective production of 7α-OH-DHEA. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 106:535-548. [PMID: 34939135 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11737-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we studied the transformation of two 3β-hydroxy-5-ene-steroids-pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by Backusella lamprospora VKM F- 944. The soil-dwelling zygomycete wild-type strain has been earlier selected during the screening and previously unexplored for this purpose. The fungus fully converted pregnenolone to form a mixture of axial 7α-hydroxy-pregnenolone and 7α,11α-dihydroxy-pregnenolone, while no metabolites with β-orientation of the hydroxyl group were detected. The pathway to 7α,11α-diOH-pregnenolone seems to include 7α-hydroxylation of 11α-hydroxylated derivative. The only product from DHEA was identified as 7α-hydroxy-DHEA. The structures of steroid metabolites were confirmed by HPLC, mass-spectrometry (MS), and 1H and 13C NMR analyses. Under the optimized conditions, the yield of 7α-OH-DHEA reached 94% (w/w) or over 14 g/L in absolute terms, even at high concentration of the substrate (DHEA) (15 g/L). To our knowledge, it is the highest yield of the value-added 7α-OH-DHEA reported so far. The results contribute to the knowledge of the diversity of the wild-type fungal strains capable of effective steroid hydroxylation. They could be applied for the production of allylic steroid 7α-alcohols that are widely used in medicine. KEY POINTS: • Zygomycete Backusella lamprospora actively hydroxylates 3β-hydroxy-5-en-steroids. • Axial 7α-hydroxylation is the preferable reaction by the strain towards pregnenolone and DHEA. • The strain selectively produces 7α-OH-DHEA even at high substrate concentrations (up to 15 g/L).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vyacheslav Kollerov
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Nauki, 5, 142290, Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia.
| | - Andrei Shutov
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Nauki, 5, 142290, Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia
| | - Alexey Kazantsev
- Chemical Department, Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskiye Gori, 1, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina Donova
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Nauki, 5, 142290, Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia
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3
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Perelmuter JT, Hom KN, Mohr RA, Demis L, Kim S, Chernenko A, Timothy M, Middleton MA, Sisneros JA, Forlano PM. Testosterone Treatment Mimics Seasonal Downregulation of Dopamine Innervation in the Auditory System of Female Midshipman Fish. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:269-282. [PMID: 33974077 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In seasonally breeding vertebrates, hormones coordinate changes in nervous system structure and function to facilitate reproductive readiness and success. Steroid hormones often exert their effects indirectly via regulation of neuromodulators, which in turn can coordinate the modulation of sensory input with appropriate motor output. Female plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) undergo increased peripheral auditory sensitivity in time for the summer breeding season, improving their ability to detect mates, which is regulated by steroid hormones. Reproductive females also show differences in catecholaminergic innervation of auditory circuitry compared with winter, non-reproductive females as measured by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in catecholaminergic synthesis. Importantly, catecholaminergic input to the inner ear from a dopaminergic-specific forebrain nucleus is decreased in the summer and dopamine inhibits the sensitivity of the inner ear, suggesting that gonadal steroids may alter auditory sensitivity by regulating dopamine innervation. In this study, we gonadectomized non-reproductive females, implanted them with estradiol (E2) or testosterone (T), and measured TH immunoreactive (TH-ir) fibers in auditory nuclei where catecholaminergic innervation was previously shown to be seasonally plastic. We found that treatment with T, but not E2, reduced TH-ir innervation in the auditory hindbrain. T-treatment also reduced TH-ir fibers in the forebrain dopaminergic cell group that projects to the inner ear, and likely to the auditory hindbrain. Higher T plasma in the treatment group was correlated with reduced-ir TH terminals in the inner ear. These T-treatment induced changes in TH-ir fibers mimic the seasonal downregulation of dopamine in the midshipman inner ear and provide evidence that steroid hormone regulation of peripheral auditory sensitivity is mediated, in part, by dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan T Perelmuter
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.,Psychology Subprogram in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kelsey N Hom
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.,Doctoral Program in Biology, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.,Biology Subprogram in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert A Mohr
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lina Demis
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Spencer Kim
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Alena Chernenko
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Miky Timothy
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Mollie A Middleton
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joseph A Sisneros
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Paul M Forlano
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.,Psychology Subprogram in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.,Biology Subprogram in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.,Biology Subprogram in Neuroscience, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.,Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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4
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Tsutsui K, Ubuka T. Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH): A new key neurohormone controlling reproductive physiology and behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 61:100900. [PMID: 33450199 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of novel neurohormones is important for the advancement of neuroendocrinology. In early 1970s, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a hypothalamic neuropeptide that promotes gonadotropin release, was identified to be an endogenous neurohormone in mammals. In 2000, thirty years later, another hypothalamic neuropeptide, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), that inhibits gonadotropin release, was found in quail. GnIH acts via GPR147 and inhibits gonadotropin release and synthesis and reproductive function in birds through actions on GnRH neurons in the hypothalamus and pituitary gonadotrophs. Later, GnIH was found in other vertebrates including humans. GnIH studies have advanced the progress of reproductive neuroendocrinology. Furthermore, recent GnIH studies have indicated that abnormal changes in GnIH expression may cause pubertal disorder and reproductive dysfunction. Here, we describe GnIH discovery and its impact on the progress of reproductive neuroendocrinology. This review also highlights advancement and perspective of GnIH studies on drug development for pubertal disorder and reproductive dysfunction. (149/150).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan; Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1-7-1, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
| | - Takayoshi Ubuka
- Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
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Hippocampal 7α-Hydroxylated Neurosteroids Are Raised by Training and Bolster Remote Spatial Memory with Increase of the Spine Densities. iScience 2020; 23:101559. [PMID: 33083728 PMCID: PMC7522809 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroactive steroids, termed neurosteroids, are synthesized locally in the brain and influence biological functions including cognition and behavior. These neurosteroids are synthesized from cholesterol by a series of cytochrome P450 enzymes, among which a member of P450 hydroxylase, cytochrome P450-7b1 (CYP7B1), catalyzes the formation of 7α-hydroxylated neurosteroids, 7α-hydroxypregnenolone (7α-OH-Preg) and 7α-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone (7α-OH-DHEA). Here we demonstrated the occurrence of these neurosteroids in the mouse hippocampus after spatial-learning tasks. Cyp7b1 deficiency impaired remote spatial memory with recent memory mostly unaffected. The hippocampal dendritic spine densities were reduced in Cyp7b1-deficient mice, and they were no more increased by the training. Furthermore, chronic intracerebroventricular administration of a mixture of 7α-OH-Preg and 7α-OH-DHEA rescued the deteriorated remote memory performance in Cyp7b1-deficient mice. It is concluded that the 7α-hydroxylated neurosteroids are required for long-term maintenance of spatial memory, and we suggest that these neurosteroids may induce synaptic remodeling to maintain the hippocampal function. LC-MS/MS analysis identified 7α-hydroxylated neurosteroids in the mouse hippocampus The hippocampal neurosteroids were induced by spatial water maze training KO of 7α-hydroxylating enzyme impaired remote memory and hippocampal spine density Infusion of the 7α-hydroxylated steroids to the KO rescued impaired remote memory
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6
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Chustecka M, Blügental N, Majewski PM, Adamska I. 24 hour patterning in gene expression of pineal neurosteroid biosynthesis in young chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus L.). Chronobiol Int 2020; 38:46-60. [PMID: 32990093 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2020.1823404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The pineal gland, one of the three equivalent avian biological clock structures, is also the site of intensive neurosteroid synthesis (7α-hydroxypregnenolone and allopregnanolone). Pineal neurosteroid biosynthesis involves six enzymes: cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage - Cyp11a1 encoded, cytochrome P4507α - Cyp7b1, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase - Hsd3b2, 5α-reductase - Srd5a1, 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase - Akr1d1, and 5β-reductase - Srd5a3. Regulation of neurosteroid biosynthesis is not fully understood; although it is known that the E4BP4 transcription factor induces activation of biosynthetic cholesterol genes, which are the targets for SREBP (element-binding protein transcription factor). SREBP principal activity in the pineal gland is suppression and inhibition of the Period2 canonical clock gene, suggesting our hypothesis that genes encoding enzymes involved in neurosteroidogenesis are under circadian clock control and are the Clock Control Genes (CCGs). Therefore, through investigation of daily changes in Cyp11a1, Cyp7b1, Hsd3b2, Akr1d1, Srd5a1, and Srd5a3, pineal genes were tested in vivo and in vitro, in cultured pinealocytes. Experiments were carried out on pineal glands taken from 16-day-old chickens in vivo or using in vitro cultures of pinealocytes collected from 16-day-old animals. Both the birds in the in vivo experiments and the pinealocytes were kept under controlled light conditions (LD 12:12) or in constant darkness (DD). Subsequently, materials were prepared for RT-qPCR analysis. Results revealed that three of the six tested genes: Cyp11a1, Cyp7b1, and Srd5a3 demonstrated significant 24-hour variation in in vivo and in vitro. Findings of this study confirm that these genes could be under clock control and satisfy many of the requirements to be identified as CCGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Chustecka
- Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Blügental
- Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
| | - Pawel Marek Majewski
- Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Adamska
- Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
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7
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Haraguchi S, Tsutsui K. Pineal Neurosteroids: Biosynthesis and Physiological Functions. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:549. [PMID: 32849313 PMCID: PMC7431617 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to the adrenal glands, gonads, and placenta, vertebrate brains also produce various steroids, which are known as "neurosteroids." Neurosteroids are mainly synthesized in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum; however, it has recently been discovered that in birds, the pineal gland, a photosensitive region in the brain, produces more neurosteroids than other brain regions. A series of experiments using molecular and biochemical techniques have found that the pineal gland produces various neurosteroids, including sex steroids, de novo from cholesterol. For instance, allopregnanolone and 7α-hydroxypregnenolone are actively produced in the pineal gland, unlike in other brain regions. Pineal 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, an up-regulator of locomotion, enhances locomotor activity in response to light stimuli in birds. Additionally, pineal allopregnanolone acts on Purkinje cells in the cerebellum and prevents neuronal apoptosis within the developing cerebellum in juvenile birds. Furthermore, exposure to light during nighttime hours can cause loss of diurnal variations of pineal allopregnanolone synthesis during early posthatch life, eventually leading to cerebellar Purkinje cell death in juvenile birds. In light of these new findings, this review summarizes the biosynthesis and physiological functions of pineal neurosteroids. Given that the circadian rhythms of individuals in modern societies are constantly interrupted by artificial light exposure, these findings in birds, which are excellent model diurnal animals, may have direct implications for addressing problems regarding the mental health and brain development of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Haraguchi
- Department of Biochemistry, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Shogo Haraguchi
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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8
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Haraguchi S, Kamata M, Tokita T, Tashiro KI, Sato M, Nozaki M, Okamoto-Katsuyama M, Shimizu I, Han G, Chowdhury VS, Lei XF, Miyazaki T, Kim-Kaneyama JR, Nakamachi T, Matsuda K, Ohtaki H, Tokumoto T, Tachibana T, Miyazaki A, Tsutsui K. Light-at-night exposure affects brain development through pineal allopregnanolone-dependent mechanisms. eLife 2019; 8:45306. [PMID: 31566568 PMCID: PMC6850767 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms by which environmental light conditions affect cerebellar development are incompletely understood. We showed that circadian disruption by light-at-night induced Purkinje cell death through pineal allopregnanolone (ALLO) activity during early life in chicks. Light-at-night caused the loss of diurnal variation of pineal ALLO synthesis during early life and led to cerebellar Purkinje cell death, which was suppressed by a daily injection of ALLO. The loss of diurnal variation of pineal ALLO synthesis induced not only reduction in pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a neuroprotective hormone, but also transcriptional repression of the cerebellar Adcyap1 gene that produces PACAP, with subsequent Purkinje cell death. Taken together, pineal ALLO mediated the effect of light on early cerebellar development in chicks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Haraguchi
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Biochemistry, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Kamata
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuma Tokita
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kei-Ichiro Tashiro
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miku Sato
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuki Nozaki
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mayumi Okamoto-Katsuyama
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Isao Shimizu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Guofeng Han
- Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Vishwajit Sur Chowdhury
- Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Xiao-Feng Lei
- Department of Biochemistry, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuro Miyazaki
- Department of Biochemistry, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joo-Ri Kim-Kaneyama
- Department of Biochemistry, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoya Nakamachi
- Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kouhei Matsuda
- Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Ohtaki
- Department of Anatomy, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshinobu Tokumoto
- Integrated Bioscience Section, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Tachibana
- Department of Agrobiological Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Akira Miyazaki
- Department of Biochemistry, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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Kollerov VV, Shutov AA, Kazantsev AV, Donova MV. Biocatalytic modifications of pregnenolone by selected filamentous fungi. BIOCATAL BIOTRANSFOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/10242422.2018.1549237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vyacheslav V. Kollerov
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center «Pushchino Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences», Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia
| | - Andrei A. Shutov
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center «Pushchino Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences», Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia
| | | | - Marina V. Donova
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center «Pushchino Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences», Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia
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10
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Tsutsui K, Ubuka T. How to Contribute to the Progress of Neuroendocrinology: Discovery of GnIH and Progress of GnIH Research. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:662. [PMID: 30483217 PMCID: PMC6241250 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
It is essential to discover novel neuropeptides that regulate the functions of pituitary, brain and peripheral secretory glands for the progress of neuroendocrinology. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a hypothalamic neuropeptide stimulating gonadotropin release was isolated and its structure was determined by Schally's and Guillemin's groups at the beginning of the 1970s. It was subsequently shown that GnRH is highly conserved among vertebrates. GnRH was assumed the sole hypothalamic neuropeptide that regulates gonadotropin release in vertebrates based on extensive studies of GnRH over the following three decades. However, in 2000, Tsutsui's group isolated and determined the structure of a novel hypothalamic neuropeptide, which inhibits gonadotropin release, in quail, an avian species, and named it gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH). Following studies by Tsutsui's group demonstrated that GnIH is highly conserved among vertebrates, from humans to agnathans, and acts as a key neuropeptide inhibiting reproduction. Intensive research on GnIH demonstrated that GnIH inhibits gonadotropin synthesis and release by acting on gonadotropes and GnRH neurons via GPR147 in birds and mammals. Fish GnIH also regulates gonadotropin release according to its reproductive condition, indicating the conserved role of GnIH in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in vertebrates. Therefore, we can now say that GnRH is not the only hypothalamic neuropeptide controlling vertebrate reproduction. In addition, recent studies by Tsutsui's group demonstrated that GnIH acts in the brain to regulate behaviors, including reproductive behavior. The 18 years of GnIH research with leading laboratories in the world have significantly advanced our knowledge of the neuroendocrine control mechanism of reproductive physiology and behavior as well as interactions of the HPG, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axes. This review describes how GnIH was discovered and GnIH research progressed in this new research era of reproductive neuroendocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Ubuka
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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11
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Tsutsui K, Haraguchi S, Vaudry H. 7α-Hydroxypregnenolone regulating locomotor behavior identified in the brain and pineal gland across vertebrates. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 265:97-105. [PMID: 28919448 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The brain synthesizes steroids de novo from cholesterol, which are called neurosteroids. Based on extensive studies on neurosteroids over the past thirty years, it is now accepted that neurosteroidogenesis in the brain is a conserved property across vertebrates. However, the formation of bioactive neurosteroids in the brain is still incompletely elucidated in vertebrates. In fact, we recently identified 7α-hydroxypregnenolone (7α-OH PREG) as a novel bioactive neurosteroid stimulating locomotor behavior in the brain of several vertebrates. The follow-up studies have demonstrated that the stimulatory action of brain 7α-OH PREG on locomotor behavior is mediated by the dopaminergic system across vertebrates. More recently, we have further demonstrated that the pineal gland, an endocrine organ located close to the brain, is a major site of the formation of bioactive neurosteroids. In addition to the brain, the pineal gland actively produces 7α-OH PREG de novo from cholesterol as a major pineal neurosteroid that acts on the brain to control locomotor rhythms. This review summarizes the identification, biosynthesis and mode of action of brain and pineal 7α-OH PREG, a new bioactive neurosteroid regulating locomotor behavior, across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.
| | - Shogo Haraguchi
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan; Department of Biochemistry, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan
| | - Hubert Vaudry
- INSERM U1239, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Normandy University, 76000 Rouen, France
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12
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Expression of steroidogenic enzymes and metabolism of steroids in COS-7 cells known as non-steroidogenic cells. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2167. [PMID: 29391479 PMCID: PMC5794755 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20226-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The COS-7 (CV-1 in Origin with SV40 genes) cells are known as non-steroidogenic cells because they are derived from kidney cells and the kidney is defined as a non-steroidogenic organ. Therefore, COS-7 cells are used for transfection experiments to analyze the actions of functional molecules including steroids. However, a preliminary study suggested that COS-7 cells metabolize [3H]testosterone to [3H]androstenedione. These results suggest that COS-7 cells are able to metabolize steroids. Therefore, the present study investigated the expression of steroidogenic enzymes and the metabolism of steroids in COS-7 cells. RT-PCR analyses demonstrated the expressions of several kinds of steroidogenic enzymes, such as cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5-Δ4 isomerase, cytochrome P450 7α-hydroxylase, cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 5α-reductase, cytochrome P450 21-hydroxylase, cytochrome P450 11β-hydroxylase, and cytochrome P450 aromatase in COS-7 cells. In addition, steroidogenic enzymes 3β-HSD, P4507α, 5α-reductase, P450c17, P450c21, P450c11β, and 17β-HSD actively metabolized various steroids in cultured COS-7 cells. Finally, we demonstrated that 17β-HSD activity toward androstenedione formation was greater than other steroidogenic enzyme activities. Our results provide new evidence that COS-7 cells express a series of steroidogenic enzyme mRNAs and actively metabolize a variety of steroids.
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Wingfield JC, Wacker DW, Bentley GE, Tsutsui K. Brain-Derived Steroids, Behavior and Endocrine Conflicts Across Life History Stages in Birds: A Perspective. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:270. [PMID: 29967590 PMCID: PMC6015890 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological steroids were traditionally thought to be synthesized exclusively by the adrenal glands and gonads. Recent decades have seen the discovery of neurosteroid production that acts locally within the central nervous system to affect physiology and behavior. These actions include, for example, regulation of aggressive behavior, such as territoriality, and locomotor movement associated with migration. Important questions then arose as to how and why neurosteroid production evolved and why similar steroids of peripheral origin do not always fulfill these central roles? Investigations of free-living vertebrates suggest that synthesis and action of bioactive steroids within the brain may have evolved to regulate expression of specific behavior in different life history stages. Synthesis and secretion of these hormones from peripheral glands is broadcast throughout the organism via the blood stream. While widespread, general actions of steroids released into the blood might be relevant for regulation of morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits in one life history stage, such hormonal release may not be appropriate in other stages. Specific and localized production of bioactive steroids in the brain, but not released into the periphery, could be a way to avoid such conflicts. Two examples are highlighted. First, we compare the control of territorial aggression of songbirds in the breeding season under the influence of gonadal steroids with autumnal (non-breeding) territoriality regulated by sex steroid production in the brain either from circulating precursors such as dehydroepiandrosterone or local central production of sex steroids de novo from cholesterol. Second, we outline the production of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone within the brain that appears to affect locomotor behavior in several contexts. Local production of these steroids in the brain may provide specific regulation of behavioral traits throughout the year and independently of life history stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C. Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: John C. Wingfield,
| | - Douglas W. Wacker
- Division of Biological Sciences, School of STEM, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA, United States
| | - George E. Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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Yoshimoto FK, Arman HD, Griffith WP, Yan F, Wherritt DJ. Chemical synthesis of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, a neuroactive steroid that stimulates locomotor activity. Steroids 2017; 128:50-57. [PMID: 29061488 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
7α-Hydroxypregnenolone is an endogenous neuroactive steroid that stimulates locomotor activity. A synthesis of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone from pregnenolone, which takes advantage of an orthogonal protecting group strategy, is described. In detail, the C7-position was oxidized with CrO3 and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole to yield a 7-keto steroid intermediate. The resulting 7-ketone was stereoselectively reduced to the 7α-hydroxy group with lithium tri-sec-butylborohydride. In contrast, reduction of the same 7-ketone intermediate with NaBH4 resulted in primarily the 7β-hydroxy epimer. Furthermore, in an alternative route to the target compound, the 7α-hydroxy group was successfully incorporated by direct C-H allylic benzoyloxylation of pregnenolone-3-acetate with CuBr and tert-butyl peroxybenzoate followed by saponification. The disclosed syntheses to 7-oxygenated steroids are amenable to potentially obtain other biologically active sterols and steroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis K Yoshimoto
- Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio, TX 78249-0698, United States.
| | - Hadi D Arman
- Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio, TX 78249-0698, United States
| | - Wendell P Griffith
- Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio, TX 78249-0698, United States
| | - Fangzhi Yan
- Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio, TX 78249-0698, United States
| | - Daniel J Wherritt
- Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio, TX 78249-0698, United States
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Chemical derivatization of neurosteroids for their trace determination in sea lamprey by UPLC-MS/MS. Talanta 2016; 149:326-334. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2015.11.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 11/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Ogura Y, Haraguchi S, Nagino K, Ishikawa K, Fukahori Y, Tsutsui K. 7α-Hydroxypregnenolone regulates diurnal changes in sexual behavior of male quail. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 227:130-5. [PMID: 26608258 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Revised: 11/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the Japanese quail, 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, a previously undescribed avian neurosteroid, is actively produced in the brain. 7α-Hydroxypregnenolone acts as a novel neuronal activator to stimulate locomotor activity of quail. Therefore, in this study, we determined whether 7α-hydroxypregnenolone changes the expression of sexual behavior in Japanese quail. We first measured diurnal changes in sexual behavior of male quail exposed to a long-day photoperiod. We found that sexual behavior of male quail was high in the morning when endogenous 7α-hydroxypregnenolone level is high. Subsequently, we centrally administered 7α-hydroxypregnenolone in the evening when endogenous 7α-hydroxypregnenolone level is low. In the 30 min after intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection, 7α-hydroxypregnenolone dose dependently increased the frequency of sexual behavior of male quail. However, 7β-hydroxypregnenolone, a stereoisomer of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, did not effect on the frequency of sexual behavior of male quail. In addition, to confirm the action of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone on sexual behavior, male birds received an ICV injection of ketoconazole, an inhibitor of cytochrome P450s, and behavioral experiments were performed in the morning. Ketoconazole significantly decreased the frequency of sexual behavior of male quail, whereas administration of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone to ketoconazole-treated males increased the frequency of their sexual behavior. These results indicate that 7α-hydroxypregnenolone regulates diurnal changes in sexual behavior of male quail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Ogura
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Shogo Haraguchi
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.
| | - Koki Nagino
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Kei Ishikawa
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yoko Fukahori
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.
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Tsutsui K. How to contribute to the progress of neuroendocrinology: New insights from discovering novel neuropeptides and neurosteroids regulating pituitary and brain functions. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 227:3-15. [PMID: 26145291 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Obtaining new insights by discovering novel neuropeptides and neurosteroids regulating pituitary and brain functions is essential for the progress of neuroendocrinology. At the beginning of 1970s, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was discovered in mammals. Since then, it was generally accepted that GnRH is the only hypothalamic neuropeptide regulating gonadotropin release in vertebrates. In 2000, however, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), a novel hypothalamic neuropeptide that actively inhibits gonadotropin release, was discovered in quail. The follow-up studies demonstrated that GnIH acts as a new key player for regulation of reproduction across vertebrates. It now appears that GnIH acts on the pituitary and the brain to serve a number of behavioral and physiological functions. On the other hand, a new concept has been established that the brain synthesizes steroids, called neurosteroids. The formation of neurosteroids in the brain was originally demonstrated in mammals and subsequently in other vertebrates. Recently, 7α-hydroxypregnenolone was discovered as a novel bioactive neurosteroid inducing locomotor behavior of vertebrates, indicating that neurosteroidogenesis in the brain is still incompletely elucidated in vertebrates. At the beginning of 2010s, it was further found that the pineal gland actively produces neurosteroids. Pineal neurosteroids act on the brain to regulate locomotor rhythms and neuronal survival. Furthermore, the interaction of neuropeptides and neurosteroids is becoming clear. GnIH decreases aggressive behavior by regulating neuroestrogen synthesis in the brain. This review summarizes these new insights by discovering novel neuropeptides and neurosteroids in the field of neuroendocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.
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