Prostaglandin F2α Suppresses Rat Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein Expression via Induction of Yin Yang 1 Protein and Recruitment of Histone Deacetylase 1 Protein

Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) plays a pivotal role in ovarian luteolysis by inhibiting the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein, leading to a decrease in intracellular cholesterol transport and luteal steroid production. Previously we have demonstrated that the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) bound to three regions in the StAR promoter in vitro and repressed promoter activity. This study further defined the YY1-mediated PGF2α effect on the inhibition of StAR protein expression through YY1 interaction with a single region in the StAR promoter in vivo. PGF2α consistently suppressed StAR mRNA and protein expression in cultured luteal cells in a dose-dependent manner. PGF2α also enhanced YY1 protein expression and binding to its cis-element in a time-dependent pattern that preceded the decline in StAR protein levels. The StAR promoter region bound by YY1 was also associated with histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1). PGF2α treatment promoted HDAC1 binding to and suppressed the histone H3 acet...