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Submitted on July 20, 2005
Accepted on September 7, 2005
MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit, Centre for Reproductive Biology, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ UK; Institute for Hormone and Fertility Research, University of Hamburg, Grandweg 64, 22529 Hamburg, Germany; present address: Institute for Hormone and Fertility Research, University of Hamburg, Falkenried 88, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit, Centre for Reproductive Biology, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ UK; Institute for Hormone and Fertility Research, University of Hamburg, Grandweg 64, 22529 Hamburg, Germany
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: p.saunders{at}ed.ac.uk.
Sertoli cells (Sc) play a major role in the establishment and maintenance of spermatogenesis. In the adult testis Sc contain androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor 
(ER) but exhibit a loss of steroid responsiveness when maintained in primary culture. In the present study we have demonstrated that a transformed murine cell line (SK11) has retained a Sc phenotype and remains steroid responsive. SK11 cells expressed mRNAs found in Sc (aromatase, SGP-1, SGP-2, GATA-1, Sox-9, testatin, Dax-1) including those for AR and ER but not ER
. AR and ER were immunolocalised to cell nuclei and their ability to activate gene expression was investigated using transient transfections with reporter constructs containing either 3XERE or pem-ARE-promoters. Expression of the 3xERE reporter was induced following incubation with E2, 3Adiol or T; up-regulation of the pem-ARE reporter was only detected in the presence of T or DHT. Activation of the ERE-reporter did not occur following targeted knockdown of ER mRNA. Expression of AR and ER mRNAs was increased following incubation of cells with T or E2 respectively. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the SK11 Sc cell line contains functional AR and ER and that treatment of the cells with their respective steroids results in an increase in the amount of their mRNAs. Our results suggest that E2 or 3Adiol acting via ER might modulate Sc function in vivo and that SK11 cells provide a useful model that can be used to complement studies using Sertoli cell selective gene ablation.
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AR •
testis •
fertility •
receptor
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