Glutathione S-Transferase Alpha Expressed in Porcine Sertoli Cells Is under the Control of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Testosterone1

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a family of detoxifica-tion isoenzymes present in different tissues including the testis and that conjugate many toxic substrates to glutathione. Among these substrates are carcinogens, mutagens and products of ox-idative processes. In the present report we show that GSTa is expressed in somatic testicular Leydig cells and Sertoli cells. GSTa expression in Sertoli cells is under the hormonal control of FSH, testosterone, and estradiol. In Leydig cells, immunore-active GSTa was present at the neonatal, pubertal, and adult periods. In Sertoli cells, GSTa was predominant in pubertal and adult testes (but not in neonatal testes), suggesting that its ex-pression is controlled by gonadotropins. The regulatory action and the mechanisms of action of FSH and testosterone on GSTa mRNA and protein levels were studied by using a model of pri