Complex role of the mitochondrial targeting signal in the function of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein revealed by bacterial artificial chromosome transgenesis in vivo.

ABSTRACT: The steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) stimulates the regulated production of steroid hormones in the adrenal cortex and gonads by facilitating the delivery of cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membrane. To explore key aspects of StAR function within bona fide steroidogenic cells, we used a transgenic mouse model to explore the function of StAR proteins in vivo. We first validated this transgenic bacterial artificial chromosome reconstitution system by targeting enhanced green fluorescent protein to steroidogenic cells of the adrenal cortex and gonads. Thereafter, we targeted expression of either wild-type StAR (WT-StAR) or a mutated StAR protein lacking the mitochondrial targeting signal (N47-StAR). In the context of mice homozygous for a StAR knockout allele (StAR-/-), al

SUBMITTER: Sasaki G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2276465 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature