Regulation of low density lipoprotein receptor synthesis in cultured luteinized human granulosa cells by human chorionic gonadotropin and 8-bromo-cyclic AMP.

We investigated the regulation of synthesis of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor in cultured luteinized human granulosa cells using a monoclonal antibody recognizing the human LDL receptor (IgG-C7). Cells cultured under serum-free conditions were treated with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or 8-bromo-cAMP alone or in combination with aminoglutethimide (to block conversion of cholesterol to steroid hormones) and 5-cholesten-3 beta, 25-diol (25-hydroxycholesterol, a potent suppressor of LDL receptor expression in human fibroblasts) and pulse-labeled with [35S]methionine. A labeled protein immunoisolated with IgG-C7 was identified as the mature LDL receptor in 7.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels on the basis of an apparent molecular mass of 160 kDa, absence of the protein from immunoisolates prepared with a monoclonal antibody against an irrelevant antigen, and an apparent decrease in molecular weight of the mature receptor upon treatment with neuraminidase or electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions. hCG and 8-bromo-cAMP consistently increased the incorporation of radioactivity into the mature LDL receptor by 2-6-fold. The effect of hCG on LDL receptor synthesis was observed with as little as 10 mIU of hCG/ml and was apparent within 2 h of addition of the hormone. A combination of 25-hydroxycholesterol and aminoglutethimide resulted in a 60% suppression of label incorporation into mature LDL receptor compared to untreated cells. This would suggest some regulation of LDL receptor synthesis by negative feedback of sterol. However, both hCG and 8-bromo-cAMP increased label incorporation into the LDL receptor in the face of these agents. We conclude that in human granulosa cells, hCG, through the intermediacy of cAMP, rapidly increases LDL receptor synthesis by a mechanism which is, at least in part, independent of alterations in cellular cholesterol balance.