The regulation of cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) by glucocorticoids was investigated in mouse Leydig cell cultures. We recently demonstrated that P450scc is constitutively synthesized in Leydig cells and that the rate of P450scc synthesis is increased by chronic treatment of the cultures with 8-bromo-cAMP. We now report that glucocorticoids, specifically, decrease the constitutive and cAMP-induced synthesis of P450scc protein as well as the accumulation of P450scc mRNA. The treatment of cultures with as little as 10 nM dexamethasone resulted in a 50-60% decrease in the rate of synthesis of P450scc protein and mRNA content. The glucocorticoid-mediated decrease in P450scc synthesis was prevented when cultures were treated with the antiglucocorticoid RU-486. RU-486 alone had no effect on the rate of protein synthesis. The effect was specific for glucocorticoids; corticosterone (100 nM) or cortisol (100 nM) brought about a similar decrease as dexamethasone. Treatment of cultures with the progesterone agonist R5020 (100 nM), testosterone (2 microM), or estradiol (50 nM) had no effect on the rate of specific protein synthesis. The synthesis of iron sulfur protein reductase (ISP-reductase) and F1-ATPase were not affected by dexamethasone, indicating that the effect was specific for P450scc. The amount of P450scc mRNA was decreased 61% by dexamethasone and increased 144% by treatment with 8-bromo-cAMP. These data together with our previous finding on the negative regulation of P450(17 alpha) protein synthesis by testosterone suggest that the steroidogenic P450 enzymes in Leydig cells are negatively regulated by steroid hormones acting via their cognate receptors.