title: Transcriptional activation of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor gene by activin A.
abstract: It has been reported that activin A stimulates the synthesis of the GnRH receptors (GnRHR) in rat pituitary cultures. However, the role of activin A in the regulation of the GnRHR gene at the molecular level is not known. In the present work, we have studied the regulation of the GnRHR gene by activin A in the gonadotrope cell line, alpha T3-1, where the GnRHR gene is highly expressed. First, we demonstrate that these cells express the mRNAs of three types of activin receptors: I, II, and IIB. Activin A increases GnRHR mRNA levels in a dose-and time-dependent manner, with maximal stimulation (2.5 +/- 0.5-fold) occurring with a dose of 20 ng/ml after 36 h of incubation. To ascertain whether this effect occurs at the transcriptional level, we performed nuclear run-off experiments in alpha T3-1 cells, which demonstrate a 1.6-fold increase in the levels of newly synthesized GnRHR mRNA in response to activin A. To investigate further the effect of activin A on the transcription of the GnRHR gene, alpha T3-1 cells were transiently transfected with a mouse GnRHR promoter/luciferase reporter gene (GnRHR-Luc) and challenged with activin A. Luciferase activity increases in response to activin A to the same extent (2.4 +/- 0.4-fold) and with similar dose-response and time-course profiles as the mRNA levels. Follistatin (100 ng/ml), a well known activin antagonist, completely abolishes the activin A effect on both mRNA levels and GnRHR-Luc activity. Follistatin also decreases the basal expression of the GnRHR gene by 33% as determined by GnRHR-Luc activity. This, together with our demonstration of the presence of the inhibin beta B-subunit mRNA in alpha T3-1 cells, suggests a potential paracrine/autocrine role of endogenous activin B on the regulation of the GnRHR gene in these cells. To provide evidence for biological significance of activin A stimulation of GnRHR gene expression, the response of a human gonadotropin alpha-subunit promoter/luciferase reporter gene (alpha Gon-Luc) to GnRH was assessed in alpha T3-1 cells pretreated with activin A. Activin enhances the stimulation of alpha Gon-Luc activity by GnRH by 1.6 +/- 0.4-fold. These data demonstrate that activin A can stimulate the expression of the GnRHR gene at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, transfection studies localize the activin responsive element to 1.2 kb of the 5'-flanking region of the GnRHR gene. Transcriptional activation of the GnRHR gene by activin A may serve as a mechanism for the modulation of gonadotrope responsiveness to GnRH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fernández-Vázquez
authors.forename: U B
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Albarracin
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Chin
mesh_terms: D029404:Activin Receptors; D028341:Activins; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008156:Luciferases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011966:Receptors, LHRH / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D011966:Receptors, LHRH; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D008156:Luciferases; D029404:Activin Receptors