title: A mitochondrial kinase complex is essential to mediate an ERK1/2-dependent phosphorylation of a key regulatory protein in steroid biosynthesis.
abstract: ERK1/2 is known to be involved in hormone-stimulated steroid synthesis, but its exact roles and the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Both ERK1/2 phosphorylation and steroidogenesis may be triggered by cAMP/cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA)-dependent and-independent mechanisms; however, ERK1/2 activation by cAMP results in a maximal steroidogenic rate, whereas canonical activation by epidermal growth factor (EGF) does not. We demonstrate herein by Western blot analysis and confocal studies that temporal mitochondrial ERK1/2 activation is obligatory for PKA-mediated steroidogenesis in the Leydig-transformed MA-10 cell line. PKA activity leads to the phosphorylation of a constitutive mitochondrial MEK1/2 pool with a lower effect in cytosolic MEKs, while EGF allows predominant cytosolic MEK activation and nuclear pERK1/2 localization. These results would explain why PKA favors a more durable ERK1/2 activation in mitochondria than does EGF. By means of ex vivo experiments, we showed that mitochondrial maximal steroidogenesis occurred as a result of the mutual action of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein -a key regulatory component in steroid biosynthesis-, active ERK1/2 and PKA. Our results indicate that there is an interaction between mitochondrial StAR and ERK1/2, involving a D domain with sequential basic-hydrophobic motifs similar to ERK substrates. As a result of this binding and only in the presence of cholesterol, ERK1/2 phosphorylates StAR at Ser(232). Directed mutagenesis of Ser(232) to a non-phosphorylable amino acid such as Ala (StAR S232A) inhibited in vitro StAR phosphorylation by active ERK1/2. Transient transfection of MA-10 cells with StAR S232A markedly reduced the yield of progesterone production. In summary, here we show that StAR is a novel substrate of ERK1/2, and that mitochondrial ERK1/2 is part of a multimeric protein kinase complex that regulates cholesterol transport. The role of MAPKs in mitochondrial function is underlined.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Moleculares de Enfermedades Hormonales, Neurodegenerativas y Oncológicas (IIMHNO), Department of Human Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poderoso
authors.forename: Daniela P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Converso
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maloberti
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Neuman
authors.forename: Soledad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cornejo Maciel
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paz
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Poderoso
authors.forename: Ernesto J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Podestá
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011374:Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein
chemical_list: D010750:Phosphoproteins; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein; D011374:Progesterone; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D002784:Cholesterol; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3