Cytochrome P450c17, encoded by the CYP17 gene, is a component of the 17alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase enzyme complex essential for production of adrenal glucocorticoids and androgens as well as gonadal androgens. The expression of CYP17 in adrenocortical cells is stimulated by corticotropin (ACTH) via the signal transduction pathway involving cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA). Thus, in addition to glucocorticoids, ACTH stimulates formation of adrenal androgens, which are known to induce transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) secretion. TGF-b in turn inhibits steroid hormone output by attenuating both basal and ACTH-dependent expression of CYP17. The present study revealed that treatment of bovine and human H295R adrenocortical cells with androgens resulted in a decrease in the basal level of CYP17 transcript and cortisol secretion, without affecting forskolin-stimulated levels. We also demonstrated that in H295R cells TGF-beta inhibited both basal and forskolin-stimulated accumulation of CYP17 mRNA. Determination of promoter activity, directing luciferase reporter gene expression in H295R cells transfected with deletion fragments of bovine CYP17 promoter, indicated that the -483 to -433 bp fragment of the promoter was necessary for the inhibitory action of TGF-beta on CYP17 expression. It is concluded that in bovine and human adrenocortical cells, androgens inhibit basal CYP17 expression probably at the transcriptional level and independently of the effect of TGF-beta.