EID-1 interacts with orphan nuclear receptor SF-1 and represses its transactivation.

The orphan nuclear receptor, SF-1, plays a pivotal role in the development and differentiation of the endocrine and reproductive systems, and also regulates the transcription of a host of genes, including those encoding several steroidogenic enzymes and gonadotropins. We found that a previously unidentified repressor, EID-1, is an SF-1-interacting protein that inhibits the transactivation of SF-1. A transient transfection assay revealed that EID-1 inhibits SF-1, but not LRH-1, ERRgamma, or mCAR. Using the yeast two hybrid and GST pull-down assays, we determined that EID-1 interacted strongly with SF-1. In addition, it colocalized with SF-1 in mammalian cells and interacted specifically with the AF-2 domain of SF-1, competing with SRC-1 to inhibit SF-1 transactivation. EID-1 is expressed in the mouse testis, and its expression decreases during testis development. The results of the present study suggest that EID-1 can act as a repressor, regulating the function of SF-1.