Regulation of the early steps in gonadal steroidogenesis

Abstract

De novo synthesis of sex steroid hormones occurs primarily in the Leydig cells of the testes and the theca cells and theca- and granulosa-derived luteal cells of the ovary. Other major sites of de novo steroid biosynthesis include the placenta, the adrenal cortex, and the brain. In steroidogenic cells, cholesterol is taken up in response to trophic stimuli and transported into the mitochondria through the action of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR). © 2009 Springer-Verlag US.