title: Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) activates the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, inducing small heat shock protein phosphorylation and cell rounding in immature rat ovarian granulosa cells.
abstract: This study investigates the possibility that FSH activates the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in immature granulosa cells (GC). FSH induced the phosphorylation (activation) of p38 MAPK as evaluated by immunoprecipitation and by phosphorylation-specific immunoblotting. FSH-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was blocked by pretreatment with the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H89 and mimicked by the cAMP generating agonist forskolin, indicating that FSH-induced cAMP production and PKA activation are necessary and sufficient for the activation of p38 MAPK in GC. The small heat shock protein HSP-27 comprises a downstream phosphorylation target for the p38 MAPK pathway. FSH-induced phosphorylation of HSP-27 was blocked by pretreatment with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB 203580, indicating that p38 MAPK activation is necessary for FSH-induced HSP-27 phosphorylation. FSH-induced GC rounding/aggregation was blocked by pretreatment with SB 203580 indicating that p38 MAPK activation is necessary for FSH-induced GC cell shape change. The results of these experiments show that the p38 MAPK pathway is activated in GC in response to FSH in a cAMP/PKA-dependent manner, and that p38 MAPK activity is required for FSH-induced HSP-27 phosphorylation as well as rounding/aggregation in GC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Maizels
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cottom
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hunzicker-Dunn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000502:physiology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000502:physiology*; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D007093:Imidazoles; D011725:Pyridines; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093642:SB 203580