Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Mitochondrial function in Leydig cell steroidogenesis.

Dale B Hales1, John A Allen, Tristan Shankara

  • 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612-7342, USA. dbhale@uic.edu

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|February 14, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Discovery of Small Molecule Ligands Targeting Orphan G Protein-Coupled Receptors GPR3, GPR6, and GPR12.

Journal of medicinal chemistry·2026
Same author

CVN-424: An Advanced GPR6 Inverse Agonist in Phase III Clinical Trials for Parkinson's Disease.

Journal of medicinal chemistry·2026
Same author

Enhanced recovery after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer: a prospective observational case -control study.

BMC urology·2026
Same author

Constitutive activity among orphan G protein-coupled receptors: Molecular mechanisms and pharmacological perspectives.

Molecular pharmacology·2026
Same author

Functionally Selective Dopamine D1 Receptor Endocytosis and Signaling by Catechol and Noncatechol Agonists.

Biochemistry·2025
Same author

Utilizing Flaxseed as an Antimicrobial Alternative in Chickens: Integrative Review for <i>Salmonella enterica</i> and <i>Eimeria</i>.

Current issues in molecular biology·2024
Same journal

Multiomics Profiling During Autoimmune Demyelination Highlights a Complex Regulatory Role for Ataxin-1 in B Cells.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2026
Same journal

Global Trends in Light Pollution and Their Relationship With Socioeconomic Factors.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2026
Same journal

Wired for Corruption: Inter-Brain Synchrony Encodes Bribery-Related Value Information and Predicts Bribery Agreement.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2026
Same journal

LM-YOLO: A Lightweight Multi-Scale Enhanced Model for Forest Smoke Detection Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2026
Same journal

Polyrhythm Perception and Production: A Scoping Review.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2026
Same journal

DARTS-CNN-BiLSTM: Intelligent Fault Diagnosis for Computer Numerical Control Machine Tool Feed System.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2026
See all related articles

Mitochondria are crucial for steroid hormone production in Leydig cells. Energized mitochondria, with proper membrane potential and ATP synthesis, are essential for steroidogenesis and StAR protein expression.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Mitochondrial Biology
  • Steroidogenesis

Background:

  • Steroid hormone biosynthesis is initiated by cholesterol transfer into mitochondria, facilitated by the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein.
  • While Leydig cell steroidogenesis is well-studied, the specific mitochondrial functions required remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the essential aspects of mitochondrial function for Leydig cell steroidogenesis.
  • To investigate the impact of mitochondrial disrupters and pro-oxidants on progesterone synthesis and StAR expression.

Main Methods:

  • MA-10 tumor Leydig cells were treated with 8-bromo-cAMP and various mitochondrial disrupters (CCCP, antimycin A, oligomycin, nigericin, sodium arsenite, Ru360).
  • Effects on progesterone synthesis, StAR expression, mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm), and ATP synthesis were measured.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Dissipating Δψm inhibited progesterone synthesis despite StAR presence.
  • Electron transport and ATPase inhibitors reduced ATP, inhibited steroidogenesis, and decreased StAR protein.
  • Disrupting mitochondrial pH and calcium levels also inhibited progesterone production and StAR expression.
  • Sodium arsenite inhibited StAR protein (but not mRNA) and progesterone synthesis without affecting Δψm.

Conclusions:

  • Mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP synthesis, pH, and calcium are all critical for steroid biosynthesis.
  • Mitochondria must be energized, polarized, and actively respiring to support Leydig cell steroidogenesis.
  • Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress can impair steroid hormone production, suggesting a regulatory role for mitochondrial state in steroidogenesis.