Abstract
Testosterone levels in men decrease with age; this decline has been linked to various diseases and can shorten life expectancy. Geranylgeraniol (GGOH) is an isoprenoid found in plants that plays an important role in several biological processes; however, its role in steroidogenesis is unknown. Here, we report that GGOH enhances the production of testosterone and its precursor progesterone in testis-derived I-10 tumor cells. GGOH induced protein kinase A (PKA) activity and increased cAMP levels and was found to regulate cAMP/PKA signaling by activating adenylate cyclase without altering phosphodiesterase activity. GGOH also stimulated mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, a downstream effector in the cAMP/PKA pathway. These results demonstrate that GGOH enhances steroidogenesis in testis-derived cells by modulating cAMP/PKA signaling. Our findings have potential applications for the development of therapeutics that increase testosterone levels in aging men.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 791-797 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- CAMP
- Geranylgeraniol
- Progesterone
- Protein kinase A
- Testosterone
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
- Molecular Biology
- Organic Chemistry
