Hormonal activation of a kinase cascade localized at the mitochondria is required for StAR protein activity

It is known that ERK1/2 and MEK1/2 participate in the regulation of Star gene transcription. However, their role in StAR protein post-transcriptional regulation is not described yet. In this study we analyzed the relationship between the MAPK cascade and StAR protein phosphorylation and function. We have demonstrated that (a) steroidogenesis in MA-10 Leydig cells depends on the specific of ERK1/2 activation at the mitochondria; (b) ERK1/2 phosphorylation is driven by mitochondrial PKA and constitutive MEK1/2 in this organelle; (c) active ERK1/2 interacts with StAR protein, leads to StAR protein phosphorylation at Ser232 only in the presence of cholesterol; (d) directed mutagenesis of Ser232 (S232A) inhibited in vitro StAR protein phosphorylation by ERK1; (e) transient transfection of MA-10 cells with StAR S232A cDNA markedly reduced the yield of progesterone production. We show that StAR protein is a substrate of ERK1/2, and that mitochondrial ERK1/2 is part of a multimeric complex that regulates cholesterol transport.