title: Reciprocal influences between the signalling pathways regulating proliferation and steroidogenesis in adrenal glomerulosa cells.
abstract: The main regulators of aldosterone secretion in adrenal gland zona glomerulosa (ZG) cells are the hormones angiotensin II (Ang II) and adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) and small increases in the extracellular potassium (K(+)) concentration. The action of these agonists is mediated by different signalling systems - ACTH is mediated by cAMP and activation of protein kinase A while Ang II and K(+) activate two protein kinases, Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CamK) and diacylglycerol-dependent protein kinase (PKC). Ang II, besides being one of the main agonists for the secretion of aldosterone, also stimulates proliferation of ZG cells, a process mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Recent studies aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying cell proliferation have shown that calcineurin is the principal regulator of MAPKs activity. The purpose of this review is to discuss experimental evidence of possible reciprocal influences between the signalling pathways regulating proliferation and steroidogenesis in ZG cells.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 70005-Correo 7, Santiago, Chile. rfoster@machi.med.uchile.cl
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000378:metabolism; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D015384:Zona Glomerulosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein
chemical_list: D010750:Phosphoproteins; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein; D000804:Angiotensin II; D000450:Aldosterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019703:Calcineurin