title: The function of steroid hormone receptors is inhibited by the hsp90-specific compound geldanamycin.
abstract: The ansamycin antibiotic geldanamycin, which specifically interacts with the heat shock protein hsp90, was used to study the function of hsp90 in steroid hormone receptors. We observed inhibition of glucocorticoid-specific gene induction in several responsive cell systems. Hormone binding abilities of receptors for glucocorticoid, progestin, androgen, and estrogen were inhibited upon exposing intact cells to geldanamycin. Inhibition was only seen when geldanamycin was applied to cell cultures under growth conditions or was present during in vitro synthesis; presynthesized receptors in cell extracts were not affected. Upon withdrawal of geldanamycin, glucocorticoid binding ability was regained; this was partially independent of de novo protein synthesis. Geldanamycin caused decreased levels of immunoreactive glucocorticoid receptors in wild-type cells with enhanced degradation occurring through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Analysis of receptors from treated cells revealed a heteromeric structure of normal size in which the receptor polypeptide is complexed with normal amounts of hsp90 and the immunophilin p59. These data support the view that hsp90 actively participates in steroid-induced signal transduction, and they suggest that geldanamycin affects receptor action without disrupting hsp90-containing heterocomplexes per se. Nevertheless, complexes synthesized and assembled in vitro in the presence of geldanamycin differ from receptors of cellular origin.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biologische Chemie, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 501, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Segnitz
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gehring
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016227:Benzoquinones; D019556:COS Cells; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D047029:Lactams, Macrocyclic; D051379:Mice; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011809:Quinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D022021:Tacrolimus Binding Proteins; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D016227:Benzoquinones; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006728:Hormones; D047029:Lactams, Macrocyclic; D011809:Quinones; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D022021:Tacrolimus Binding Proteins; C001277:geldanamycin