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Register a new userProgesterone: An Enigmatic Ligand for the Mineralocorticoid Receptor
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Added by
Michael Baker Ph.D.
Publication date
2020
fields
Biology
and research's language is
English
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The progesterone receptor (PR) mediates progesterone regulation of female reproductive physiology, as well as gene transcription in non-reproductive tissues, such as brain, bone, lung and vasculature, in both women and men. An unusual property of progesterone is its high affinity for the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), which regulates electrolyte transport in the kidney in humans and other terrestrial vertebrates. In humans, rats, alligators and frogs, progesterone antagonizes activation of the MR by aldosterone, the physiological mineralocorticoid in terrestrial vertebrates. In contrast, in elephant shark, ray-finned fishes and chickens, progesterone activates the MR. Interestingly, cartilaginous fishes and ray-finned fishes do not synthesize aldosterone, raising the question of which steroid(s) activate the MR in cartilaginous fishes and ray-finned fishes. The simpler synthesis of progesterone, compared to cortisol and other corticosteroids, makes progesterone a candidate physiological activator of the MR in elephant sharks and ray-finned fishes. Elephant shark and ray-finned fish MRs are expressed in diverse tissues, including heart, brain and lung, as well as, ovary and testis, two reproductive tissues that are targets for progesterone, which together suggests a multi-faceted physiological role for progesterone activation of the MR in elephant shark and ray-finned fish. The functional consequences of progesterone as an antagonist of some terrestrial vertebrate MRs and as an agonist of fish and chicken MRs are not fully understood. Indeed, little is known of physiological activities of progesterone via any vertebrate MR.
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We report the analysis of activation by corticosteroids and progesterone of full-length mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) from elephant shark, a cartilaginous fish belonging to the oldest group of jawed vertebrates. Based on their measured activities, aldosterone, cortisol, 11-deoxycorticosterone, corticosterone, 11-deoxcortisol, progesterone and 19-norprogesterone are potential physiological mineralocorticoids. However, aldosterone, the physiological mineralocorticoid in humans and other terrestrial vertebrates, is not found in cartilaginous or ray-finned fishes. Because progesterone is a precursor for corticosteroids that activate elephant shark MR, we propose that progesterone was an ancestral ligand for elephant shark MR. Although progesterone activates ray-finned fish MRs, progesterone does not activate human, amphibian or alligator MRs, suggesting that during the transition to terrestrial vertebrates, progesterone lost the ability to activate the MR. Comparison of RNA-sequence analysis of elephant shark MR with that of human MR suggests that MR expression in the human brain, heart, ovary, testis and other non-epithelial tissues evolved in cartilaginous fishes. Together, these data suggest that progesterone-activated MR may have unappreciated functions in elephant shark ovary and testis.
Cortisol, corticosterone and aldosterone activate full-length glucocorticoid receptor (GR) from elephant shark, a cartilaginous fish belonging to the oldest group of jawed vertebrates. Activation by aldosterone a mineralocorticoid, indicates partial divergence of elephant shark GR from the MR. Progesterone activates elephant shark MR, but not elephant shark GR. Progesterone inhibits steroid binding to elephant shark GR, but not to human GR. Deletion of the N-terminal domain (NTD) from elephant shark GR (Truncated GR) reduced the response to corticosteroids, while truncated and full-length elephant shark MR had similar responses to corticosteroids. Chimeras of elephant shark GR NTD fused to MR DBD+LBD had increased activation by corticosteroids and progesterone compared to full-length elephant shark MR. Elephant shark MR NTD fused to GR DBD+LBD had similar activation as full-length elephant shark MR, indicating that activation of human GR by the NTD evolved early in GR divergence from the MR.
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The primary activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has become a prominent target for molecular therapies against several forms of cancer. But despite considerable progress during the last years, many of its aspects remain poorly understood. Experiments on lateral spreading of receptor activity into ligand-free regions challenge the current standard models of EGFR activation. Here, we propose and study a theoretical model, which explains spreading into ligand-free regions without introducing any new, unknown kinetic parameters. The model exhibits bistability of activity, induced by a generic reaction mechanism, which consists of activation via dimerization and deactivation via a Michaelis-Menten reaction. It possesses slow propagating front solutions and faster initial transients. We analyze relevant experiments and find that they are in quantitative accordance with the fast initial modes of spreading, but not with the slow propagating front. We point out that lateral spreading of activity is linked to pathological levels of persistent receptor activity as observed in cancer cells and exemplify uses of this link for the design and quick evaluation of molecular therapies targeting primary activation of EGFR.
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