Expression of the estradiol-synthesizing 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases type 1 and type 7 in the nonhuman primate Callithrix jacchus

The common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) was used as a primate model for the study of the expression of the estradiol synthesizing enzymes 17 b eta -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: type 1 and type 7 (17HSD1 and 17HSD7). T he tissue-specific expression of 17HSD1 and 17HSD7 mRNA in Callithrix jacch us and human as shown by Northern Blot analysis revealed strong similaritie s between the two species. After cloning of the marmoset-specific coding cD NA sequence of 17HSD7 a similarity of 95% to the known human sequences was found. To elucidate the physiological function of 17HSD7 which is thought t o be different to that of the well-known 17HSD1, the regulation of 17HSD7 e xpression in the corpus luteum aas investigated. It was shown to be upregul ated during the luteal phase of the reproductive cycle and during early pre gnancy, when the primate corpus luteum is most active in estradiol synthesi s, whereas 17HSD1 was not detectable in this tissue at any time. (C) 2001 E lsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.