Characterization of several clonal lines of cultured Leydig tumor cells: gonadotropin receptors and steroidogenic responses.

Several clonal lines of cultured Leydig tumor cells have been established and characterized in terms of gonadotropin receptors and steroid production. Although freshly isolated cells derived from the M5480P tumor have functional hCG receptors, only two of the five clonal lines established were shown to bind significant quantities of hCG. In these clones, steroid production can be stimulated to the same extent by hCG, cholera toxin, and 8-Br-cAMP. The other three clones bind a small amount of hCG and respond to the hormone with a marginal increase in steroidogenesis. Steroid production, however, is significantly stimulated by cholera toxin or 8-Br-cAMP. A comparison of the steroids produced by freshly isolated cells and two of the clones revealed some changes in the steroidogenic pathway. The most obvious change is an increase in the ability of the cultured cells to synthesize 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone (20 alpha-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one). These clonal lines may provide a suitable model system for the study of gonadotropin actions and regulation of the expression of differentiated functions of Leydig cells.