Inhibition of NR5A1 Phosphorylation Alleviates a Transcriptional Suppression Defect Caused by a Novel NR0B1 Mutation

Ichiro Abe; Tomoko Tanaka; Kenji Ohe; Hideyuki Fujii; Mai Nagata; Kentaro Ochi; Yuki Senda; Kaori Takeshita; Midori Koga; Tadachika Kudo; Munechika Enjoji; Toshihiko Yanase; Kunihisa Kobayashi

doi:10.1210/jendso/bvac068

Inhibition of NR5A1 Phosphorylation Alleviates a Transcriptional Suppression Defect Caused by a Novel NR0B1 Mutation

J Endocr Soc. 2022 Apr 22;6(6):bvac068. doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvac068. eCollection 2022 Jun 1.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, 1-1-1 Zokumyoin, Chikushino, Fukuoka 818-8502, Japan.
² Department of Regenerative Medicine and Transplantation, Fukuoka University, 7-45-1 Nanakuma Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
³ Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-180, Japan.
⁴ Seiwakai Muta Hospital, 3-9-1 Hoshikuma, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka 814-0163, Japan.

Abstract

Context: Mutations in the NR0B1 gene, also well-known as the DAX1 gene, are known to cause congenital adrenal hypoplasia associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. The abnormal NR0B1 protein fails to suppress the transcription of promoters of steroidogenic enzymes, which are also targets of NR5A1 protein, also well-known as Ad4BP/SF-1 protein. Since NR5A1 and NR0B1 have antagonistic effects on steroidogenesis, the loss of function due to NR0B1 mutations may be compensated by inducing loss of function of NR5A1 protein.

Patient: A middle-aged man was diagnosed with congenital adrenal hypoplasia associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and genetic analysis revealed him to have a novel NR0B1 mutation, c.1222C>T(p.Gln408Ter).

Methods: NR0B1 activity was evaluated in CLK1/4 inhibitor-treated 293T cells via immunoblotting and luciferase assays of the STAR promoter.

Results: TG003 treatment suppressed NR5A1 protein function to compensate for the mutant NR0B1 showing inhibited suppression of transcription. Immunoblotting analyses showed that the phosphorylation status of NR5A1 at Ser203 was attenuated by the CLK1/4 inhibitor.

Conclusion: The specific reduction of NR5A1 phosphorylation by a CLK1/4 inhibitor may alleviate developmental defects in patients with NR0B1 mutations.

Keywords: CLK1/4 inhibitor; NR0B1 mutation; NR5A1 phosphorylation; congenital adrenal hypoplasia.