# DEVELOPMENT OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 1994 · $231,548

## Abstract

Androgenic hormones (testosterone and dihydrotestosterone) stimulate sexual
differentiation and development as well as the maintenance of male
reproductive function.  Androgens exert a major influence on gene
expression in target tissues, however, the mechanisms by which they
stimulate nucleic acid and protein synthesis remain unknown.  The objective
of this research is to define mechanisms by which androgens control gene
expression.  This will be accomplished by studies on the regulation of
genes coding for the 3 subunits of prostatein, the major secretory protein
of the rat ventral prostate and the 20K protein, another major androgen
dependent protein.

The androgen receptor recognition sequence (ARRS) will be identified by
binding of partially and highly purified androgen receptor preparations to
short segments of genomic DNA.  ARRS will be mapped across the genes and
their flanking DNA.  Structural features of the gene regions surrounding
receptor binding sites will be identified by DNA sequencing.  The
relationship of putative promotors or enhancers to ARRS will be established
by mapping the DNAse I hypersensitive sites within and adjacent to
prostatein genes.  It will determine whether androgen receptors have a role
in gene attachment to nuclear matrix.

The androgen regulated genes will be cloned in eukaryotic expression
vectors and transferred to androgen responsive primary cultures of ventral
prostate epithelial cells and well differentiated epithelial cell lines for
studies on the regulation of gene expression.  Deletion mutants will be
constructed to identify promotor and possible enhancer elements in androgen
regulated genes.  The interaction among androgen receptors and other
regulatory proteins will be investigated using subcloned ARRS and promotor
sequences as probes for sequence-specific DNA binding proteins.

It is expected that the information derived from these studies will provide
new insight into androgen regulation of male reproductive function and will
be revelent to the problems of infertility and fertility control.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2194857
- **Project number:** 5R01HD004466-24
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **SAM.gov UEI:** D3LHU66KBLD5
- **Principal Investigator:** FRANK S FRENCH
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $231,548
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1977-08-01 → 1995-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2194857

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2194857, DEVELOPMENT OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION (5R01HD004466-24). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2194857. Licensed CC0.

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