Y1 Mouse Adrenocortical Tumor Cells Research Articles

Establishment of Star-edited Y1 cells as a novel in vitro functional assay for STAR.

Genetic variants involving steroidogenic acute regulatory protein cause lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which is characterized by impaired steroidogenesis in the adrenal glands and gonads. Functional assessment of variant STAR proteins is necessary for accurate genetic diagnosis. Ideally, steroidogenic cells should be used to assess the functionality of STAR proteins, but the presence of endogenous STARs in steroidogenic cells precludes such a method. Here, we generated Star-edited cells from steroidogenic Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells by genome editing. Star-edited Y1 cells exhibited very low but measurable cAMP-dependent pregnenolone production. Furthermore, stimulation of the cAMP pathway for two weeks resulted in the formation of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of Star-edited Y1 cells, which resembled the histology of the adrenal glands of patients with lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The steroidogenic defect of Star-edited Y1 cells can be restored by transient over-expression of mouse Star. We found that human STAR can also restore defective steroidogenesis of Star-edited Y1 cells, and were able to construct a novel in vitro system to evaluate human STAR variants. Collectively, we established Star-edited Y1 cells that retain the steroidogenic pathway downstream the Star protein. Star-edited Y1 cells recapitulate the functional and morphological changes of lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and can be used to evaluate the functionality of human STAR variants.

Osthole, a coumadin analog from Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson, stimulates corticosterone secretion by increasing steroidogenic enzyme expression in mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells

Ethnopharmacological relevanceOsthole is an O-methylated coumadin, which was isolated and purified from the seeds of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson. Osthole is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients with Kidney-Yang deficiency patients, who exhibit clinical signs similar to those of glucocorticoid withdrawal. However, the mechanism of action of osthole is not fully understood. ObjectiveThis study was designed to reveal the effects of osthole on corticosterone production in mouse Y1 cell. Materials and methodsMouse Y1 adrenocortical cells were used to evaluate corticosterone production, which was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Cell viability was tested using the MTT assay, and the mRNA and protein expression of genes encoding steroidogenic enzymes and transcription factors was monitored by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting, respectively. ResultsOsthole stimulated corticosterone secretion from mouse Y1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and osthole enhanced the effect of dibutyryl-cAMP (Bu2cAMP) on corticosterone production. Further, osthole also increased StAR and CYP11B1 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner and enhanced the expression of transcription factors such as HSD3B1, FDX1, POR and RXRα as well as immediate early genes such as NR4A1. Moreover, osthole significantly increased SCARB1(SRB1) mRNA and StAR protein expression in the presence or absence of Bu2cAMP; these proteins are an important for the transport of the corticosteroid precursor cholesterol transport into mitochondria. ConclusionsOur results show that the promotion of corticosterone biosynthesis and secretion is a novel effect of osthole, suggesting that this agent can be utilized for the prevention and treatment of Kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome.

Corticotropin (ACTH) regulates alternative RNA splicing in y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells☆

The stimulatory effect of ACTH on gene expression is well documented and is thought to be a major mechanism by which ACTH maintains the functional and structural integrity of the gland. Previously, we showed that ACTH regulates the accumulation of over 1200 transcripts in Y1 adrenal cells, including a cluster with functions in alternative splicing of RNA. On this basis, we postulated that some of the effects of ACTH on the transcription landscape of Y1 cells are mediated by alternative splicing. In this study, we demonstrate that ACTH regulates the alternative splicing of four transcripts – Gnas, Cd151, Dab2 and Tia1. Inasmuch as alternative splicing potentially affects transcripts from more than two-thirds of the mouse genome, we suggest that these findings are representative of a genome-wide effect of ACTH that impacts on the mRNA and protein composition of the adrenal cortex.

Mathematical modeling of the Ras/MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling networks in the K-Ras-driven mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells

Mathematical modeling of the Ras/MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling networks in the K-Ras-driven mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells

Modeling the kinetics of Ras/MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in the K-Ras-driven mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells: novel insights into the mechanisms of FGF2-driven cell cycle arrest

Modeling the kinetics of Ras/MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in the K-Ras-driven mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells: novel insights into the mechanisms of FGF2-driven cell cycle arrest

Mathematical modeling of Ras/MAPK signaling network kinetics provides insights into mechanisms of FGF2-induced cell cycle arrest in the K-Ras-driven mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells

Mathematical modeling of Ras/MAPK signaling network kinetics provides insights into mechanisms of FGF2-induced cell cycle arrest in the K-Ras-driven mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells

Contributions of steroidogenic factor 1 to the transcription landscape of Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells

The contribution of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) to the gene expression profile of Y1 mouse adrenocortical cells was evaluated using short hairpin RNAs to knockdown SF-1. The reduced level of SF-1 RNA was associated with global changes that affected the accumulation of more than 2000 transcripts. Among the down-regulated transcripts were several with functions in steroidogenesis that were affected to different degrees—i.e., Mc2r>Scarb1>Star≥Hsd3b1>Cyp11b1. For Star and Cyp11b1, the different levels of expression correlated with the amount of residual SF-1 bound to the proximal promoter regions. The knockdown of SF-1 did not affect the accumulation of Cyp11a1 transcripts even though the amount of SF-1 bound to the proximal promoter of the gene was reduced to background levels. Our results indicate that transcripts with functions in steroidogenesis vary in their dependence on SF-1 for constitutive expression. On a more global scale, SF-1 knockdown affects the accumulation of a large number of transcripts, most of which are not recognizably involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis.

ACTH receptor: Ectopic expression, activity and signaling

Failure in obtaining expression of functional adrenocorticotropic hormone receptor (ACTHR, or melanocortin 2 receptor, MC2R) in non-adrenal cells has hindered molecular analysis of ACTH signaling pathways. Here, we ectopically expressed the mouse ACTHR in Balb/c mouse 3T3 fibroblasts to analyze ACTH signaling pathways involved in induction of fos and jun genes. Natural constitutive expression of the MC2R accessory protein (MRAP) in Balb3T3 and other mouse 3T3 fibroblasts (NIH, Swiss and 3T3-L1) renders these fibroblastic lines suitable for ectopic expression of ACTHR in its active form properly inserted into the plasma membrane at levels similar to those found in mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells. The Y1 cell line is a cultured cell system well known for stably displaying normal adrenal specific metabolic pathways, ACTHR expression and ACTH functional responses. Thirty-nine sub-lines expressing ACTHR (3T3-AR transfectants) were selected for geneticin-resistance and clonally isolated after transfection of ACTHR-cDNA (in the pSVK3 mammalian plasmidial vector) into Balb3T3 fibroblasts. In addition, sixteen clonal sub-lines of Balb3T3 (3T3-0 transfectants) carrying the pSVK3 empty vector were likewise isolated. Fourteen 3T3-AR and four 3T3-0 clones were screened for response to ACTH(39) in comparison with Y1 adrenocortical cells. Eight 3T3-AR clones responded to ACTH(39) with activation of adenylate cyclase and induction of c-Fos protein, but the levels of, respectively, activation and induction were not strictly correlated. Other fos and jun genes were also induced by ACTH(39) in 3T3-AR transfectants, which express levels of ACTHR protein similar to parental Y1 cells. Signaling pathways relevant to c-Fos induction was extensively investigated in 3 clones: 3T3-AR01 and -07 and 3T3-04. In Y1 cells, specific inhibitors (H89/PKA; PD98059/MEK; Go6983/PKC and SP600125/JNK) show that signals initiated in the ACTH/ACTHR-system activate 4 pathways to induce the c-fos gene, namely: (a) cAMP/PKA/CREB; (b) MEK/ERK1/2; (c) PKC and d) JNK1/2. In 3T3-AR transfectants, both inhibitors PD98059 and Go6983 proved completely ineffective to inhibit c-Fos induction by ACTH(39), implying that MEK/ERK and PKC pathways are not involved in this process. On the other hand, SP600125 caused 85% inhibition of c-Fos induction by ACTH(39) and, in addition, ACTH(39) promotes JNK1/2 phosphorylation, suggesting that JNK is a major signaling pathway mediating c-Fos induction by ACTH(39) in these cells. In addiction, PKA inhibitor H89 also inhibits c-Fos induction in 3T3-AR7 cells by ACTH(39), implicating activation of the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway in c-Fos induction by ACTH(39). However, the cAMP derivatives db-cAMP and 8Br-cAMP, do not promote CREB phosphorylation and c-Fos induction in parental Balb3T3 and 3T3-AR transfectants, confirming previous report by others. In conclusion, expression of active ACTHR in Balb3T3 fibroblasts renders these cells responsive to ACTH with activation of cAMP/PKA/CREB and JNK pathways and, also, induction of genes from the fos and jun families. These results show that Balb 3T3-AR sublines are useful cellular systems for genetic analysis of ACTH-signaling pathways. However, activation of cAMP/PKA/CREB and JNK pathways and induction of fos and jun genes are not yet sufficient to enable ACTH for interference in morphology, migration and proliferation of Balb3T3 fibroblasts as it does in Y1 adrenocortical cells.

Role of the Insulin-like Growth Factor System in Adrenocortical Growth Control and Carcinogenesis

Clinically silent adrenocortical adenomas are the most frequent abnormalities in the adrenal gland. In contrast, adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare tumor with an extremely poor prognosis. The factors responsible for the frequent occurrence of benign adrenocortical tumors on one hand and the rare malignant transformation on the other are not known. Several genetic alterations such as loss of imprinting or loss of heterozygosity of the 11p15 gene locus causing a strong IGF-II overexpression have been demonstrated in the majority of adrenocortical carcinomas. In addition to IGF-II overexpression, increased levels of the IGF-I-receptor and IGFBP-2 have been found in advanced human adrenocortical carcinomas, suggesting an important role for the IGF-system in adrenocortical carcinogenesis. IGFs are potent mitogens regulating growth and apoptosis through interaction with the IGF-I-receptor, and overexpression of the human IGF-I-receptor promotes ligand-dependent neoplastic transformation in a variety of different cell systems. It is evident, therefore, that high levels of IGF-II in combination with overexpression of the IGF-I-receptor can provide a significant growth advantage for adrenocortical carcinoma cells and thus contribute to the highly malignant phenotype of this rare type of cancer. Additionally, it has been shown that overexpression of IGFBP-2 can promote malignant transformation of Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells through unknown IGF-independent mechanisms. As one possible mechanism, we have recently found altered expression of catalase in IGFBP-2-overexpressing tumor cells, thus implicating IGFBP-2 in influencing intracellular peroxide levels. However, since transgenic mice with IGF-II or IGFBP-2 overexpression in the adrenal gland do not show an increased frequency of adrenal tumors, IGF-II or IGFBP-2 may act as progression factors but not as initiation factors in adrenocortical tumorigenesis.

Forskolin-resistant Y1 adrenal cell mutants are deficient in adenylyl cyclase type 4

Four mutant clones independently derived from the Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cell line have adenylyl cyclase (AC) activities that are resistant to forskolin, a direct activator of AC. In this study the AC isoform composition of the forskolin-resistant mutants was examined in order to explore the underlying basis for the resistance to forskolin. As determined by Western blot and RT–PCR analysis, the four forskolin-resistant mutants all were deficient in AC-4; the levels of other AC isoforms (AC-1, AC-3 and AC-5/6) were comparable to the levels in parent Y1 cells. Transfection of one of the mutant clones with an AC-4 expression vector increased forskolin-stimulated cAMP signaling, and restored forskolin-induced changes in cell morphology and growth. Taken together, these observations indicate that AC-4 deficiency is a hallmark of the forskolin-resistant phenotype of these mutants and suggest that AC-4 is an important target of forskolin action in the Y1 adrenal cell line.

Salt-inducible kinase-mediated regulation of steroidogenesis at the early stage of ACTH-stimulation

Salt-inducible kinase (SIK), expressed in Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells at an early stage of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-stimulation, represses the cAMP-responsive element (CRE)-dependent gene expression of CYP11A and StAR by acting on bZIP domain of CRE-binding protein. ACTH induced the SIK’s nuclear to cytosolic translocation in a PKA-dependent manner. A mutant SIK in which the PKA-dependently phosphorylatable Ser577 had been replaced with Ala could not move out of the nucleus. The degree of CRE-reporter repression by SIK was strong as long as SIK was present in the nucleus. These indicated that intracellular translocation of SIK might be an important factor to determine the time-dependent change in the level of steroidogenic gene expression in ACTH-stimulated cells. Promoter analyses suggested that SIK repressed gene expressions not only of CYP11A and StAR but also of CYP11B1, CYP11B2 and SIK itself. We propose here that SIK is one of important molecule regulating expression of steroidogenic genes in the early phase of ACTH treatment.

Adrenocorticotropin induces mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1 in Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells.

ACTH signaling pathway includes the action of both protein kinases, mainly cAMP-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A, PKA), and serine/threonine and tyrosine phosphatases. MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) is a dual activity protein phosphatase involved in the dephosphorylation of MAPK. To determine whether MKP-1 is a component of ACTH cascade, here we investigate the expression levels of MKP-1 gene in Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells under ACTH stimulation. ACTH transiently increased MKP-1 mRNA and protein levels. MKP-1 mRNA increase occurred at 30 min, peaked at 1 h (6-fold), and returned to basal levels thereafter. The ACTH-mediated mRNA increase was blunted by actinomycin D and enhanced by cycloheximide. A cell permeable cAMP analog, 8-bromo-cAMP, also transiently induced MKP-1 mRNA (4-fold) and the PKA inhibitor N-[2-(p-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamid abolished this effect. In contrast, N-[2-(p-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamid only partially reduced the effect of ACTH, suggesting the participation of PKA-independent mechanisms in the hormone-induced MKP-1 expression. In addition, we show that the rise in intracellular Ca(2+) and protein kinase C activation had a potent synergic effect on ACTH- and 8-bromo-cAMP-mediated MKP-1 induction. In summary, our findings demonstrate that MKP-1 is another component of ACTH signaling cascade and indicate that this hormone may potentially down-regulate MAPKs.

Arginine vasopressin inhibition of cyclin D1 gene expression blocks the cell cycle and cell proliferation in the mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cell line.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a nonapeptide long known as an endocrine and paracrine regulator of important systemic functions, namely, vasoconstriction, gluconeogenesis, corticosteroidogenesis, and excretion of water and urea. Here we report, for the first time, that AVP specifically inhibits expression of the cyclin D1 gene, leading to cell cycle blockage and halting cell proliferation. In G0/G1-arrested mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells, maintained in serum-free medium (SFM), AVP mimics FGF2, promoting rapid ERK1/2 activation (5 min) followed by c-Fos protein induction (2 h). PKC inhibitor Go6983 and PI3K inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002 all inhibit ERK1/2 activation by AVP, but not by FGF2. Thus, AVP and FGF2 concur to activate ERK1/2 by different regulatory pathways. However, AVP is not a mitogenic factor for Y1 cells. On the contrary, AVP strongly antagonizes FGF2 late induction (2-5 h) of the cyclin D1 gene, down-regulating both cyclin D1 mRNA and protein. AVP inhibition of cyclin D1 expression is sufficient to block G1 phase progression and cell entry into the S phase, monitored by BrdU nuclear labeling. In addition, AVP completely inhibits proliferation of Y1 cells in 10% fetal calf serum (10% FCS) medium. On the other hand, ectopic expression of the cyclin D1 protein renders Y1 cells resistant to AVP for both entry into the S phase in SFM and continuous proliferation in 10% FCS medium. In conclusion, inhibition of cyclin D1 expression by AVP is an efficient mechanism of cell cycle blockage and consequent proliferation inhibition in Y1 adrenocortical cells.

ACTH-induced Nucleocytoplasmic Translocation of Salt-inducible Kinase: IMPLICATION IN THE PROTEIN KINASE A-ACTIVATED GENE TRANSCRIPTION IN MOUSE ADRENOCORTICAL TUMOR CELLS

Salt-inducible kinase (SIK), a serine/threonine protein kinase expressed at an early stage of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation in Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells, repressed the cAMP-responsive element (CRE)-dependent gene transcription by acting on the basic leucine zipper domain of the CRE-binding protein (Doi, J., Takemori, H., Lin, X.-z., Horike, N., Katoh, Y., and Okamoto, M. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 15629-15637). The mechanism of SIK-mediated gene regulation has been further explored. Here we show that SIK changes its subcellular location after the addition of ACTH. The immunocytochemical and fluorocytochemical analyses showed that SIK was present both in the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments of resting cells; when the cells were stimulated with ACTH the nuclear SIK moved into the cytoplasm within 15 min; the level of SIK in the nuclear compartment gradually returned to the initial level after 12 h. SIK translocation was blocked by pretreatment with leptomycin B. A mutant SIK whose Ser-577, the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation site, was replaced with Ala could not move out of the nucleus under stimulation by ACTH. As expected, the degree of repression exerted by SIK on CRE reporter activity was weak as long as SIK was present in the cytoplasmic compartment. The same was true for the SIK-mediated repression of a steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein-gene promoter, which contained a CRE-like sequence at -95 to -85 bp. These results suggest that in the ACTH-stimulated Y1 cells the nuclear SIK was PKA-dependently phosphorylated, and the phosphorylated SIK was then translocated out of the nuclei. This intracellular translocation of SIK, a CRE-repressor, may account for the time-dependent change in the level of ACTH-activated expression of the StAR protein gene.

A polymorphic form of steroidogenic factor-1 is associated with adrenocorticotropin resistance in y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cell mutants.

ACTH resistance in mutant derivatives of the Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cell line results from a defect that affects the activity of steroidogenic factor-1 (SF1), thereby preventing the expression of the melanocortin-2 receptor. In this report, we show that the SF1 genes in ACTH-resistant mutants differ from the gene in ACTH-responsive Y1 cells by two base changes-one that changes an Ala to Ser at codon 172, and one in the third position of codon 3 that does not affect the protein sequence. Furthermore, several of the mutants contain multiple copies of this alternate SF1 gene (SF1(S172)) on acentric chromosome fragments. The SF1(S172) allele represents a polymorphism rather than a spontaneous mutation because the two SF1 alleles can be traced to the hybrid mouse strain (C57L/J x A/HeJ) from which the original adrenal tumor was derived. The SF1(A172) allele also is found in C57Bl/6J and C57Bl/10J mice, whereas the SF1(S172) allele also is found in C3H/HeJ and DBA/2J mice. The two forms of SF1 had only modest differences in activity suggesting that the SF1 polymorphism per se is not directly responsible for ACTH resistance. Our results indicate that the SF1(S172) allele is a marker of ACTH resistance in this family of adrenocortical tumor cells.

ACTH promotion of p27(Kip1) induction in mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells is dependent on both PKA activation and Akt/PKB inactivation.

Here we report antimitogenic mechanisms activated by the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cell line. ACTH receptors activate the Galphas/adenylate cyclase cAMP/PKA pathway to promote dephosphorylation of Akt/PKB enzymes, leading to induction of the cyclin-dependent kinases' (CDKs) inhibitor p27(Kip1). Y1 cells display high constitutive levels of phosphorylated Akt/PKB dependent on chronically elevated c-Ki-Ras.GTP and PI3K activity. Expression of the dominant negative mutant RasN17 in Y1 cells results in strong reduction of both c-Ki-Ras.GTP and phosphorylated Akt/PKB, which are restored by FGF2 treatments. Inhibitors of PI3K lead to rapid dephosphorylation of Akt/PKB and block phosphorylation of Akt/PKB promoted by FGF2. ACTH rapidly promotes dephosphorylation of Akt/PKB in Y1 adrenal cells, while constitutively high levels of c-Ki-Ras.GTP remain unchanged. ACTH and cAMP elevating agents fail to cause Akt/PKB dephosphorylation in PKA-deficient clonal mutants of Y1 cells. In addition, cholera toxin, forskolin, and 8BrcAMP all mimic ACTH, causing dephosphorylation of Akt/PKB in wild-type Y1 cells. ACTH is unable to prevent Akt/PKB phosphorylation, promoted by FGF2 in clonal lines of RasN17-Y1 transfectants displaying negligible levels of c-Ki-Ras.GTP. ACTH promotes strong p27(Kip1) protein induction in wild-type Y1 adrenocortical cells but not in PKA-deficient Y1-clonal mutants nor in RasN17-Y1 transfectants. PI3K inhibitors induce p27(Kip1) protein in all cells studied, i.e., wild type and transfectants. The inverse correlation between levels of phosphorylated Akt/PKB and of p27(Kip1) protein caused by ACTH suggests a novel antimitogenic pathway activated by ACTH and mediated by cAMP/PKA in the mouse Y1 adrenocortical tumor cell line.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE NUCLEAR LOCALIZATION DOMAIN OF SALT-INDUCIBLE KINASE

Salt-inducible kinase (SIK), a novel serine/threonine protein kinase from adrenal glands of rats fed with a high-salt diet, is induced by ACTH in Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells. Overexpression of SIK repressed ACTH-mediated expression of CYP11A- and Steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR)-genes by inhibiting CREB bound to their promoters. Immunocytochemical and GFP-fluorocytochemical analyses indicated that SIK was present both in the nucleus and cytosol of resting cells. Responding to ACTH, the nuclear SIK moved to the cytosol. The level of phosphorylation at Ser577, a canonical PKA-phosphorylation site, was elevated by ACTH treatment. The disruption of the serine residue inhibited the nuclear export and enhanced the transcription repression activity of SIK. Various deletion mutants suggested a functional nuclear localization signal was present near Ser577. We conclude that the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SIK may play an important role in the transcriptional regulation of the cAMP-responsive element (CRE)-dependent gene expression.

The regulation of MAPKs in Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells.

The regulation of the MAPKs, Erk(1) and Erk(2), and the MAPK kinase, Mek, were examined in the Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cell line and in the protein kinase A-defective mutant, Kin-8. ACTH and basic fibroblast growth factor each increased Mek phosphorylation and stimulated Mek activity in both cell lines and also activated the Erks at concentrations that paralleled their effects on Mek. The specific Mek inhibitor, PD98059, blocked the activation of the Erks by ACTH and basic fibroblast growth factor, indicating that Mek is the upstream activator of Erk. PD98059 did not block the phosphorylation of Mek, as might have been expected from previous studies; instead PD98059 inhibited the activity of the activated enzyme. In ACTH-stimulated, mutant Kin-8 cells, PD98059 paradoxically increased the amount of phosphorylated Mek, while preventing the activation of Erk. These results are interpreted as reflecting the loss of a protein kinase A-mediated inhibitory influence on Mek phosphorylation and activation.

The Regulation of MAPKs in Y1 Mouse Adrenocortical Tumor Cells

The Regulation of MAPKs in Y1 Mouse Adrenocortical Tumor Cells

Salt-Inducible Kinase Is Involved in the ACTH/cAMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Signaling in Y1 Mouse Adrenocortical Tumor Cells

The involvement of salt-inducible kinase, a recently cloned protein serine/threonine kinase, in adrenal steroidogenesis was investigated. When Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells were stimulated by ACTH, the cellular content of salt-inducible kinase mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity changed rapidly. Its level reached the highest point in 1-2 h and returned to the initial level after 8 h. The mRNA levels of cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, on the other hand, began to rise after a few hours, reaching the highest levels after 8 h. The salt-inducible kinase mRNA level in ACTH-, forskolin-, or 8-bromo-cAMP-treated Kin-7 cells, mutant Y1 with less cAMP-dependent PKA activity, remained low. However, Kin-7 cells, when transfected with a PKA expression vector, expressed salt-inducible kinase mRNA. Y1 cells that overexpressed salt-inducible kinase were isolated, and the mRNA levels of steroidogenic genes in these cells were compared with those in the parent Y1. The level of cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 mRNA in the salt-inducible kinase-overexpressing cells was markedly low compared with that in the parent, while the levels of Ad4BP/steroidogenic factor-1-, ACTH receptor-, and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-mRNAs in the former were similar to those in the latter. The ACTH-dependent expression of cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450- and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-mRNAs in the salt-inducible kinase-overexpressing cells was significantly repressed. The promoter activity of the cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 gene was assayed by using Y1 cells transfected with a human cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 promoter-linked reporter gene. Addition of forskolin to the culture medium enhanced the cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 promoter activity, but the forskolin-dependently activated promoter activity was inhibited when the cells were transfected with a salt-inducible kinase expression vector. This inhibition did not occur when the cells were transfected with a salt-inducible kinase (K56M) vector that encoded an inactive kinase. The salt-inducible kinase's inhibitory effect was also observed when nonsteroidogenic, nonAd4BP/steroidogenic factor-1 -expressing, NIH3T3 cells were used for the promoter assays. These results suggested that salt-inducible kinase might play an important role(s) in the cAMP-dependent, but Ad4BP/steroidogenic factor-1-independent, gene expression of cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 in adrenocortical cells.