REGULATION OF MITOCHONDRIAL DYNAMICS PROTEINS IN MA-10 LEYDIG CELLS: THE ROLE OF MITOFUSIN 2 ON ACYL-COA SYNTHETASE EXPRESSION, A KEY ENZYME IN STEROIDOGENESIS

HERRERA, LUCÍA; HELFENBERGER, KATIA E.; PODEROSO, CECILIA; FIORE, ANA Z.; CASTILLO, ANA F.

Congreso; REUNIÓN ANUAL DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIA 2019; 2019

Mitochondrial fusion is driven by GTPases like Mitofusins 1 and 2 (Mfn1/2) and Optic Atrophy 1 (OPA1) whereas mitochondrial fission mainly involves Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). Mitochondrial dynamics (fusion/fission events) participate in many physiological processes and in different human pathologies. Steroidogenesis depends on several mitochondrial-associated proteins as PKA, StAR, ERK/MEK, SHP2 (tyrosine phosphatase) and Acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (Acsl4). We have previously demonstrated that Mfn2 participates in steroids production and in StAR expression and mitochondrial localization, in MA-10 murine Leydig cells. However, the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics proteins under hormonal stimulation has been little explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hormone-regulation of Mfn2, OPA1 and Drp1 and a possible role of Mfn2 in Acsl4 expression and mitochondrial localization, in MA-10 Leydig cells. We observed that Mfn2 levels significantly increase after 8Br-cAMP (cAMP analogue) stimulation, in a time-dependent manner up to 24h (control vs. 4h, ***p