title: Human skin is a steroidogenic tissue: steroidogenic enzymes and cofactors are expressed in epidermis, normal sebocytes, and an immortalized sebocyte cell line (SEB-1).
abstract: Although the human sebaceous gland can synthesize cholesterol from acetate and can further metabolize steroids such as dehydroepiandrosterone into potent androgens, the de novo production of steroids from cholesterol has not been demonstrated in human skin. The goal of this study was to delineate the steroidogenic pathway upstream from dehydroepiandrosterone by documenting the presence of members of the P450 side chain cleavage system (P450scc). This system catalyzes the initial step in steroid hormone synthesis following translocation of cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membrane. In concert with its cofactors, adrenodoxin and adrenodoxin reductase, and the transcription factor steroidogenic factor 1, P450scc converts cholesterol to pregnenolone. An SV40 immortalized human sebaceous gland cell line (SEB-1) was established in order to facilitate investigation of the P450scc system. The sebaceous phenotype of SEB-1 sebocytes was confirmed using immunohistochemistry, Oil Red O staining, and gene array expression analysis. Presence of P450scc, adrenodoxin reductase, cytochrome P450 17-hydroxylase (P450c17), and steroidogenic factor 1 was documented in human facial skin, human sebocytes, and SEB-1 sebocytes. Using immunohistochemistry, antibodies to the above proteins localized to epidermis, hair follicles, sebaceous ducts, and sebaceous glands in sections of facial skin. Results of immunohistochemistry were confirmed with Western blotting. Biochemical activity of cytochrome P450scc and P450c17 was demonstrated in SEB-1 sebocytes using radioimmunoassay. The relative abundance of mRNA for P450scc, P450c17, and steroidogenic factor 1 in SEB-1 sebocytes and sebaceous glands was compared to mRNA levels in ovarian theca and granulosa cells using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Gene array expression analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction indicated that mRNA for P450scc is more abundant than mRNA for both P450c17 and steroidogenic factor 1 in sebaceous glands and SEB-1 cells. These data demonstrate that the skin is in fact a steroidogenic tissue. The clinical significance of this finding in mediating androgenic skin disorders such as acne, hirsutism, or androgenetic alopecia remains to be established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA. dthiboutot@psu.edu
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thiboutot
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jabara
authors.forename: Jan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.forename: Aruntha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sivarajah
authors.forename: Kathyrn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gilliland
authors.forename: Zhaoyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clawson
mesh_terms: D006907:17-alpha-Hydroxypregnenolone / Q000378:metabolism; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004817:Epidermis / Q000201:enzymology; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D005287:Ferredoxin-NADP Reductase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051717:Fushi Tarazu Transcription Factors; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D054339:Steroidogenic Factor 1; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013799:Theca Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051717:Fushi Tarazu Transcription Factors; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols; C515057:NR5A1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D054339:Steroidogenic Factor 1; D013256:Steroids; D014157:Transcription Factors; C003585:22-hydroxycholesterol; D006907:17-alpha-Hydroxypregnenolone; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme; D005287:Ferredoxin-NADP Reductase