In rodents, activins stimulate immediate-early increases in pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (Fshb) subunit transcription. Here, we investigated the underlying signaling mechanisms using the mouse gonadotrope cell line, L T2. Activin A increased mouse Fshb-luciferase reporter activity within 4 h through a Smad-dependent signaling pathway. The ligand rapidly stimulated formation of SMAD2/3/4 complexes that could interact with a consensus palindromic Smad binding element (SBE) in the proximal Fshb promoter. SMAD over-expression potently stimulated transcription, with the combination of SMADs 2, 3 and 4 producing the greatest synergistic activation. A mutation in the SBE that abolished Smad binding greatly impaired the effects of acute (4 h) activin A treatment and SMAD over-expression on promoter activity, but did not abolish the effects of chronic (24 h) activin A exposure. Within activated SMAD complexes, SMADs 3 and 4 appeared to bind the SBE simultaneously and the binding of both was required for maximal transcriptional activation. Interestingly, the human FSHB promoter, which lacks the consensus SBE, was neither rapidly stimulated by activin A nor by over-expressed SMADs, but was activated by 24 h activin A. Addition of the SBE to the human promoter increased both SMAD2/3/4-sensitivity and acute regulation by activin A, though not to levels observed in mouse. We postulate that short reproductive cycles in female rodents, particularly the brief interval between the primary and secondary FSH surges of the estrous cycle, require the Fshb promoter in these animals to be particularly sensitive to the rapid, Smad-dependent actions of activins on transcription. The human FSHB promoter, in contrast, is chronically regulated by activins seemingly through a SMAD-independent pathway.

Phthalate esters such as di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), which are commonly found in cosmetics and in flexible plastics distributed by the food, construction, and medical products industries, have been classified as anti-androgens. High-dose DEHP exposure in utero is associated with decreased androgen levels. However, when administered after birth, low doses of DEHP (eg, 10 mg/kg body weight) may stimulate androgen production. In the present study, the potential of phthalate exposure to advance or delay the timing of puberty was assessed. Male Long-Evans rat pups were chronically subjected to low or high doses of DEHP, with the androgen-driven process of preputial separation serving as an index of pubertal timing. Rats were treated with 0, 10, 500, or 750 mg/kg body weight DEHP for 28 days starting at day 21 postpartum. The average age at which the animals completed preputial separation was measured in each group. The age of preputial separation was 41.5 6 0.1 days postpartum in controls (vehicle). The 10 mg/kg DEHP dose advanced pubertal onset significantly to 39.7 6 0.1 days postpartum, whereas the 750 mg/kg DEHP dose delayed pubertal onset to 46.3 6 0.1 days postpartum. The 10 mg/kg DEHP dose also significantly increased serum testosterone (T) levels (3.13 6 0.37 ng/mL) and seminal vesicle weights (0.33 6 0.02 g) compared with control serum T (1.98 6 0.20 ng/mL) and seminal vesicle weight (0.26 6 0.02 g), while the 750 mg/kg dose decreased serum T (1.18 6 0.18 ng/mL) as well as testes and body weights. Direct action of the DEHP metabolite, monoethylhexylphthalate (MEHP), on Leydig cell steroidogenic capacity was investigated in vitro. MEHP treatment at a low concentration (100 mM) increased luteinizing hormonestimulated T production, whereas 10 mM concentrations were inhibitory. In conclusion, data from the present study indicate that DEHP has a biphasic effect on Leydig cell function, with low-dose exposure advancing the onset of puberty. High doses of DEHP, which are anti-androgenic, may also be outside the range of real environmental exposure levels.

Transforming growth factor b superfamily ligands regulate pituitary FSH production and secretion. The best-described examples are the activins and inhibins, which respectively stimulate and hinder Fshb subunit transcription in gonadotrope cells. More recently, members of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) sub-family were shown to regulate FSH production in a manner analogous to the activins. Here, we used the murine gonadotrope cell line, LbT2, to investigate mechanisms through which BMP2 regulates the Fshb gene. Although expressed at low levels in LbT2 cells, Bmp2 mRNA was readily detected in adult murine pituitary gland. Recombinant BMP2 stimulated Fshb promoter-reporter activity, although its effects were weaker than those of equimolar activin A or B. BMP4 stimulated transcription comparably with BMP2, but BMPs 6 and 7 were about tenfold less potent. Remarkably, BMP2 and activin A synergistically upregulated Fshb transcription and endogenous Fshb mRNA levels in LbT2 cells. Although functionally cooperative, the two ligands appeared to use distinct intracellular mechanisms to mediate their responses because neither ligand altered the timing or magnitude of the other's effects. Receptor overexpression analyses suggested that BMP2 may preferentially signal through complexes of the type II receptor, BMPR2, and the type I receptor, activin receptor like kinase (ALK2; Acvr1), to stimulate Fshb transcription. BMP2 rapidly activated the Smad1/5/8 intracellular signaling cascade and Smad8 overexpression potentiated BMP2's effects. In summary, BMPs regulate Fshb transcription in LbT2 cells and can amplify the already robust effects of the activins through a distinct signaling mechanism. Because BMP2 is expressed in the adult mouse pituitary, it may act as critical paracrine co-regulator of FSH synthesis by gonadotropes.

Paired-like homeodomain transcription factors (PITX) regulate the activity of pituitary hormone-encoding genes. Here, we examined mechanisms through which the family of PITX proteins control murine FSH beta-subunit (Fshb) transcription. We observed that endogenous PITX1 and PITX2 isoforms from murine LbetaT2 gonadotrope cells could bind a highly conserved proximal cis-element. Transfection of PITX1 or PITX2C in heterologous cells stimulated both murine and human Fshb/FSHB promoter-reporter activities, and in both cases, mutation of the critical cis-element abrogated these effects. In homologous LbetaT2 cells, the same mutation decreased basal reporter activity and greatly reduced activin A-stimulated transcription from murine and human promoter-reporters. Transfecting dominant-negative forms of PITX1 or PITX2C or knocking down PITX1 or -2 expression by RNA interference in LbetaT2 cells inhibited murine Fshb transcription, confirming roles for endogenous PITX proteins. Both PITX1 and PITX2C interacted with Smad3 (an effector of the activin signaling cascade in these cells) in coprecipitation experiments, and the PITX binding site mutation greatly inhibited Smad2/3/4-stimulated Fshb transcription. In summary, both PITX1 and PITX2C regulate murine and human Fshb/FSHB transcription through a conserved cis-element in the proximal promoter. Furthermore, the data indicate both common and distinct mechanisms of PITX1 and PITX2C action.