Luteinizing hormone regulates inhibin-α subunit expression through multiple signaling pathways involving steroidogenic factor-1 and beta-catenin in the macaque corpus luteum

Abstract

We employed different experimental model systems to define the role of GATA4, beta-catenin, and steroidogenic factor (SF-1) transcriptional factors in the regulation of monkey luteal inhibin secretion. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions and western blotting analyses show high expression of inhibin-α, GATA4, and beta-catenin in corpus luteum (CL) of the mid-luteal phase. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist-induced luteolysis model suggested the significance of luteinizing hormone (LH) in regulating these transcriptional factors. Inducible cyclic AMP early repressor mRNA expression was detected in the CL and no change was observed in different stages of CL. Following amino acid sequence analysis, interaction between SF-1 and beta-catenin in mid-stage CL was verified by reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation experiments coupled to immunoblot analysis. Electrophoretic mobility shift analysis support the role of SF-1 in regulating luteal inhibin-α expression. Our results suggest a possible multiple crosstalk of Wnt, cAMP, and SF-1 in the regulation of luteal inhibin secretion.

Keywords::

• Steroidogenic factor
• inhibin
• beta-catenin
• corpus luteum
• bonnet monkey

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr Basavanagouda and staff of Primate Research Laboratory for assistance with surgeries. Financial support from Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, to conduct these studies is gratefully acknowledged.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper .