Mero-receptor formation from a larger subcomponent of the oviduct progesterone receptor

Visualizing activation of opioid circuits by internalization of G protein-coupled receptors

Mu-opioid receptor (MOR) and opioid receptor-like receptor (ORL-1) circuits in the limbic hypothalamic system are important for the regulation of sexual receptivity in the female rat. Sexual receptivity is tightly regulated by the sequential release of estrogen and progesterone from the ovary suggesting ovarian steroids regulate the activity of these neuropeptide systems. Both MOR and ORL-1 distributions overlap with the distribution of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the hypothalamus and limbic system providing a morphological substrate for interaction between steroids and the opioid circuits in the brain. Both MOR and ORL-1 are receptors that respond to activation by endogenous ligands with internalization into early endosomes. This internalization is part of the mechanism of receptor desensitization or down regulation. Although receptor activation and internalization are separate events, internalization can be used as a temporal measure of circuit activation by endogenous ligands. This review focuses on the estrogen and progesterone regulation of MOR and ORL-1 circuits in the medial preoptic nucleus and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus that are central to modulating sexual receptivity.

The action of calcitonin on the TM4 Sertoli cell line and on rat Sertoli cell-enriched cultures

The effects of synthetic salmon calcitonin on primary Sertoli cell-enriched cultures and on an established cell line (TM4 cells, derived from immature mouse Sertoli cells) were studied. Synthetic salmon calcitonin stimulated the conversion of [3H]adenine to [3H]cyclic AMP in both cell systems. In addition, this peptide stimulated the secretion of rABP in primary Sertoli cell-enriched cultures prepared from rat testis. Calcitonin also increased the total concentration of both androgen and estrogen receptors in TM4 cells. Because cAMP analogs decreased androgen and estrogen receptor concentrations, the effect of calcitonin on sex steroid receptors may not be mediated by its effect on cyclic AMP in these cells. The possibility that the action of synthetic salmon calcitonin on the receptors might be mediated by a change in cellular Ca2+ was investigated. Lowering extracellular Ca2+ concentrations from 1.5 mM to less than 0.01 mM markedly reduced the concentration of androgen and estrogen receptors; restoration of Ca2+ to 1.5 mM returned receptor levels to normal. When the receptor concentrations were decreased by lowering extracellular Ca2+ concentrations to 0.5 mM, treatment with the calcium ionophore, A23187, restored receptor levels to normal. Although the calcium channel blocker, verapamil, decreased receptor levels, calcitonin partially counteracted its effect. Trifluoperazine, an inhibitor of calmodulin, also diminished androgen and estrogen receptor, levels in the cytosol of TM4 cells. It was concluded that calcitonin stimulates the formation of cyclic AMP and the secretion of rABP by Sertoli cells. This peptide also increases the concentration of androgen and estrogen receptors, possibly by a mechanism that is, in part, Ca2+ -mediated. These results, along with those on Leydig cells, suggest that calcitonin could be a regulator of testicular function.

Binding of progesterone with the oviduct cytosol fraction of estrogen-primed quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Progesterone-specific binding components were detected in the cytosol fraction of enlarged oviducts from estrogen (diethylstilbestrol)-primed immature Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) females by several techniques using [3H]promegestone. The oviduct as a target tissue of progesterone is the most efficient in [3H]promegestone binding, and muscle and intestine as nontarget tissues and plasma are less efficient as expected. By using [3H]promegestone for binding, the possibility of blood contamination of the oviduct may have been eliminated with the detection of a specific binding site. The participation of protein in the steroid-binding site was inferred from the destruction of the binding component by protease, but not by RNase or DNase. The interaction with [3H]promegestone in low salt conditions has a high affinity (Kd 0.69 nM) and low capacity (the number of binding sites per milligram of protein is about 1.3 pmol). Six unlabeled steroids were tested as competitors for binding to [3H]promegestone in vitro. Progesterone-like steroids competed specifically with [3H]promegestone: progesterone congruent to promegestone greater than deoxycorticosterone greater than testosterone much greater than estradiol-17 beta greater than cortisol. These chemical properties show that the progesterone binding protein present in the oviduct of estrogen-primed quail is essentially similar to that obtained from chick oviduct. In addition, heterogeneity of the [3H]promegestone binding components was shown. The binding component was eluted as an aggregate on gel (Bio-Gel A-0.5m) column chromatography in low salt conditions which reverted to two major peaks, tentatively named I (molecular weight, about 110,000) and II (about 41,000), in the presence of high salt (0.3 M KCl). The relative amounts of the two peaks differed. It was interesting that peak II of the small component was not found in the estrogen-primed chick and was a distinctive one in quail. On the other hand, both peaks were recovered with 0.3 M KCl elution on DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. These studies suggest that this binding component may function as a biological receptor for progesterone in the estrogen-enlarged oviduct, and the problems to be solved are under examination.

The effect of calcium on the hepatic glucocorticoid receptor

The unbound glucocorticoid receptor of rat hepatic cytosol was very unstable at 25 degrees C. This receptor instability was increased by the addition of 1-10 mM Ca2+ such that the unbound glucocorticoid receptor was completely inactivated within 30 min at 25 degrees C in the presence of 5 mM Ca2+. Interestingly, Ca2+ inactivation was blocked approximately 80% by simultaneous addition of either 10 mM molybdate or 10 mM molybdate plus 5 mM dithiothreitol. Ten millimolar leupeptin or 10 mM alpha 2-macroglobulin did not inhibit Ca2+ inactivation of the receptor. In fact, leupeptin alone slightly inactivated the receptor. Prior treatment of cytosol with 10 mM molybdate plus 5 mM DTT at 25 degrees C for 30 min offered a complete protection against the subsequent addition of 5 mM Ca2+. The effects of Ca2+ were found to be irreversible since addition of molybdate or molybdate plus dithiothreitol after 5 mM Ca2+ treatment (20 min for 25 degrees C) did not reactivate partially inactivated receptors but did stabilize the remaining receptor binding at the time of molybdate or molybdate plus dithiothreitol addition. Addition of 1-5 mM Ca2+ to preformed [3H]-dexamethasone--receptor complexes slightly inhibited steroid--receptor complex transformation into a nuclear binding form at 25 degrees C. In addition, 10 mM Ca2+ altered the agarose gel filtration profile of the complex. Control cytosol or cytosol treated with 10 mM EDTA or 10 mM leupeptin showed three distinct macromolecular bound radioactivity peaks having Stokes radii of 65, 40 and 20 A. On the other hand, Ca2+-treated cytosol showed a single large aggregated component which was excluded in the void volume of the column. Trypsin (0.5 microgram/ml) generated a small steroid--receptor fragment of 20 A when added alone, but interestingly when added with 10 mM Ca2+ the [3H]-dexamethasone--receptor complex eluted in the agarose gel exclusion volume. These results show that Ca2+ has a profound effect on rat hepatic glucocorticoid receptors and that molybdate can block Ca2+-dependent receptor inactivation.

Progesterone receptor from chick oviduct: purification of molybdate-stabilized form and preliminary characterization

A molydate-stabilized, 'non-activated' form of the progesterone receptor from the cytosol of oestrogen-stimulated chick oviduct has been purified to homogeneity by a three-step procedure. The first step, affinity chromatography using a N-(12-amino-dodecyl)-3-oxo-4-androsten-17 beta-carboxamide-substituted Sepharose gel, purified the receptor 1500-2700-fold with approximately equal to 50% recovery. In the second step, ion-exchange chromatography through a DEAE-cellulose column, progesterone receptor was eluted as a single peak at 0.1 M KCl. Purification after this step was greater than 6700-fold. The third step was filtration through Ultrogel AcA 34, resulting in overall purification approximately equal to 7400-fold with overall recovery approximately equal to 25% of pure receptor on the basis of 1 binding site/molecule of Mr 85000. The purified molybdate-stabilized receptor had a sedimentation coefficient approximately equal to 7.9S +/- 0.1 (n = 4) in 0.15 M or 0.4 M KCl containing sucrose 5-20% gradient and approximately equal to 8.9S +/- 0.2 (n = 6) in 0.15 M KCl containing glycerol 10-35% gradient, and its Stokes radius was 7.05 +/- 0.10 nm (n = 3) (calculated Mr between 240000 and 280000). Binding specificity of the purified receptor was the same as that found in crude cytosol. SDS-PAGE revealed a single band migrating as a polypeptide of Mr approximately equal to 85000 +/- 2300 (n = 9). PAGE under non-denaturing conditions at total acrylamide concentrations 5%, 7% and 9% showed a single [3H]ORG 2058-protein band (ORG 2058 is a high-affinity analogue more suitable than progesterone for electrophoretic studies). The data suggest that the high molecular weight molybdate-stabilized progesterone receptor purified from oestrogen-primed chick oviduct is composed of only approximately equal to 85000-Mr polypeptide chains.

Inhibition by protease inhibitors of binding of adrenal and sex steroid hormones

Binding of steroid hormones is inhibited by protease inhibitors and substrates. The protease inhibitors phenylmethyl sulphonylfluoride, tosyl-lysine chloromethyl ketone, and tosylamide-phenylethyl-chloromethyl ketone and the protease substrates tosyl arginine methyl ester and tryptophan methyl ester eliminate specific binding of aldosterone, dexamethasone, dihydrotestosterone, estrogen, and progesterone to their respective receptors. These protease inhibitors and substrates also inhibit binding of progesterone to the 20,000 molecular weight mero-receptor formed from the progesterone receptor in chick oviduct. The binding of estradiol to rat alpha-fetoprotein is inhibited by the protease inhibitors and substrates but not by tryptophan or tryptophan amide, indicating the importance of an ester structure in the inhibition of steroid binding. Our results suggest that all steroid hormone receptors have a site with both common structural features and a role in the regulation of steroid hormone binding.