Beacon[47-73] inhibits glucocorticoid secretion and growth of cultured rat and human adrenocortical cells.
Evidence has been recently provided that beacon, an ubiquitin-like protein overexpressed in the hypothalamus of Israeli sand rat, is also expressed in several endocrine glands of the Wistar rat, including adrenal cortex. Moreover, it has been shown that the in vivo administration of beacon[47-73] (hereinafter, beacon) evokes within 60 min a marked decrease in the plasma concentrations of ACTH and corticosterone. Hence, we have investigated the effect of beacon (4x10(-9) or 4x10(-7) M) on the secretion and growth of cultured rat and human zona fasciculata/reticularis (ZF/R) cells. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction detected beacon mRNA in all human adrenal cortexes examined. A 3-h exposure to beacon was ineffective, but prolonged (24 and 96 h) exposures significantly lowered basal corticosterone and cortisol secretion from cultured rat and human ZF/R cells, respectively. Moreover, beacon (4x10(-7) M) counteracted the secretagogue action of 10(-8) M ACTH on cultured cells. The 96-h exposure to beacon concentration-dependently decreased basal proliferation rate of cultured cells, without inducing significant changes in the number of apoptotic and necrotic cells. Beacon (4x10(-7) M) significantly inhibited the proliferogenic effect of 10(-8) M adrenomedullin. In light of the involvement of ubiquitin-like proteins in the control of cell cycle and protein sorting and degradation, the hypothesis is advanced that the inhibitory effect of beacon on the secretion and growth of cultured rat ZF/R cells may be connected to its stimulating effect on proteolysis of steroidogenic enzymes and proteins involved in cell replication.
Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Karol Marcinkowska University of Medical Sciences, PL-60781 Poznan, Poland.
Agnieszka
A
Ziolkowska
Gianni
G
Carraro
Piera
P
Rebuffat
Raffaella
R
Spinazzi
Gastone G
GG
Nussdorfer
Marcin
M
Rucinski
Ludwik K
LK
Malendowicz
D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D014452:Ubiquitins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015385:Zona Reticularis / Q000187:drug effects
D005136:Eye Proteins; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C429294:UBL5 protein, human; D014452:Ubiquitins; C498170:Ubl5 protein, rat; D003345:Corticosterone