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Updated: Oct 9, 2026

Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions
Published on: March 12, 2019
Expression of three negative regulators of CYP17 gene transcription in adrenocortical cells
T Lehmann1, J Biernacka-Lukanty, W H Trzeciak
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
Abstract:
The expression of negative regulators of CYP17 gene expression: DAX-1, COUP-TF and N-CoR was investigated in bovine adrenocortical cells in primary culture. The cells were incubated for 6 hours in a defined medium, containing ACTH (10 nM) or forskolin (25 microM). Total RNA was isolated, the concentration of CYP17 gene transcript was determined by hybridization analysis, and polyA RNA was reverse-transcribed to obtain cDNA. Fragments of CYP17, DAX-1, COUP-TF, N-CoR and beta-actin cDNA were amplified by PCR and the amplified cDNAs were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis followed by densitometry. It was found that DAX-1 and COUP-TF mRNA levels were unaffected by treatment with ACTH or forskolin. On the contrary, both compounds enhanced the level of mRNA encoding N-CoR. Under the same conditions, ACTH or forskolin substantially stimulated CYP 17 mRNA accumulation. Our results suggest that in the adrenocortical cells in culture, the expression of DAX1 and COUP-TF is constitutive, whereas N-CoR expression might be inducible.
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