Both androgen receptor and glucocorticoid receptor are able to induce prostate-specific antigen expression, but differ in their growth-stimulating properties of LNCaP cells.

Androgen receptor-positive LNCaP cells were stably transfected with a rat glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression plasmid. Ligand-binding studies in the generated cell lines revealed high-affinity binding of the cognate ligands to their receptors. Transfection experiments with the newly derived cell lines showed that, like androgen receptor, GR can induce activity of a prostate-specific antigen promoter fragment linked to the luciferase gene.

An androgen response element in a far upstream enhancer region is essential for high, androgen-regulated activity of the prostate-specific antigen promoter.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is expressed at a high level in the luminal epithelial cells of the prostate and is absent or expressed at very low levels in other tissues. PSA expression can be regulated by androgens. Previously, two functional androgen-response elements were identified in the proximal promoter of the PSA gene.

Two androgen response regions cooperate in steroid hormone regulated activity of the prostate-specific antigen promoter.

Transcription of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gene is androgen regulated. The PSA promoter contains at position -170 the sequence AGAACAgcaAGTGCT, which is closely related to the ARE (androgen response element) consensus sequence GGTACAnnnTGTTCT. This sequence is a high affinity androgen receptor (AR) binding site and acts as a functional ARE in transfected LNCaP cells.

Plasma membrane block to sperm entry occurs in mouse eggs upon parthenogenetic activation.

The ability of parthenogenetically activated mouse eggs to establish a plasma membrane (PM) block to sperm penetration was studied. Zona-free eggs preloaded with Hoechst 33342 were activated by exposure to ethanol or OAG (1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol) and inseminated after different periods. Eggs challenged with sperm at 30- or 60-min postactivation displayed a fertilization frequency significantly lower than that of control eggs.

The human C/EBP delta (CRP3/CELF) gene: structure and chromosomal localization.

In an attempt to identify C/EBP-like transcription factors expressed in the prostate, a cDNA homologous to the mouse C/EBP delta (CRP3) and the rat CELF gene was isolated. A genomic clone containing the entire C/EBP delta gene was isolated using a cDNA fragment as a probe. The gene was characterized by restriction mapping and sequence analysis.