title: Functional testosterone receptors in plasma membranes of T cells.
abstract: T cells are considered to be unresponsive to testosterone due to the absence of androgen receptors (AR). Here, we demonstrate the testosterone responsiveness of murine splenic T cells in vitro as well as the presence of unconventional cell surface receptors for testosterone and classical intracellular AR. Binding sites for testosterone on the surface of both CD4(+) and CD8(+) subsets of T cells are directly revealed with the impeded ligand testosterone-BSA-FITC by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and flow cytometry, respectively. Binding of the plasma membrane impermeable testosterone-BSA conjugate induces a rapid rise (<5 s) in [Ca2+]i of Fura-2-loaded T cells. This rise reflects influx of extracellular Ca2+ through non-voltage-gated and Ni2+-blockable Ca2+ channels of the plasma membrane. The testosterone-BSA-induced Ca2+ import is not affected by cyproterone, a blocker of the AR. In addition, AR are not detectable on the surface of intact T cells when using anti-AR antibodies directed against the amino and carboxy terminus of the AR, although T cells contain AR, as revealed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions and Western blotting. AR can be visualized with the anti-AR antibodies in the cytoplasm of permeabilized T cells by using CLSM, though AR are not detectable in cytosol fractions when using the charcoal binding assay with 3H-R1881 as ligand. Cytoplasmic AR do not translocate to the nucleus of T cells in the presence of testosterone, in contrast to cytoplasmic AR in human cancer LNCaP cells. These findings suggest that the classical AR present in splenic T cells are not active in the genomic pathway. By contrast, the cell surface receptors for testosterone are in a functionally active state, enabling T cells a nongenomic response to testosterone.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Parasitology and Centre of Biological-Medical Research, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Benten
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lieberherr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giese
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wrehlke
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stamm
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Sekeris
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mossmann
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wunderlich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D013739:Testosterone; D002118:Calcium