scholarly journals The Androgen Metabolite, 5α-Androstane-3β, 17β-Diol, Is a Potent Modulator of Estrogen Receptor-β1-Mediated Gene Transcription in Neuronal Cells

Endocrinology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 146 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni R. Pak ◽  
Wilson C. J. Chung ◽  
Trent D. Lund ◽  
Laura R. Hinds ◽  
Colin M. Clay ◽  
...  

5α-Androstane-3β, 17β-diol (3βAdiol) is a metabolite of the potent androgen, 5α-dihydrotestosterone. Recent studies showed that 3βAdiol binds to estrogen receptor (ER)-β and regulates growth of the prostate gland through an estrogen, and not androgen, receptor-mediated pathway. These data raise the possibility that 3βAdiol could regulate important physiological processes in other tissues that produce 3βAdiol, such as the brain. Although it is widely accepted that the brain is a target for 5α-dihydrotestosterone action, there is no evidence that 3βAdiol has a direct action in neurons. To explore the molecular mechanisms by which 3βAdiol might act to modulate gene transcription in neuronal cells, we examined whether 3βAdiol activates ER-mediated promoter activity and whether ER transactivation is facilitated by a classical estrogen response element (ERE) or an AP-1 complex. The HT-22 neuronal cell line was cotransfected with an expression vector containing ERα, ER-β1, or the ERβ splice variant, ER-β2 and one of two luciferase-reporter constructs containing either a consensus ERE or an AP-1 enhancer site. Cells were treated with 100 nm 17β-estradiol, 100 nm 3βAdiol, or vehicle for 15 h. We show that 3βAdiol activated ER-β1-induced transcription mediated by an ERE equivalent to that of 17β-estradiol. By contrast, 3βAdiol had no effect on ERα- or ER-β2-mediated promoter activity. Moreover, ER-β1 stimulated transcription mediated by an ERE and inhibited transcription by an AP-1 site in the absence of ligand binding. These data provide evidence for activation of ER signaling pathways by an androgen metabolite in neuronal cells.

Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 148 (7) ◽  
pp. 3371-3382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni R. Pak ◽  
Wilson C. J. Chung ◽  
Laura R. Hinds ◽  
Robert J. Handa

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide involved in the regulation of fluid balance, stress, circadian rhythms, and social behaviors. In the brain, AVP is tightly regulated by gonadal steroid hormones in discrete regions with gonadectomy abolishing and testosterone replacement restoring normal AVP expression in adult males. Previous studies demonstrated that 17β-estradiol, a primary metabolite of testosterone, is responsible for restoring most of the AVP expression in the brain after castration. However, 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) has also been shown to play a role in the regulation of AVP expression, thus implicating the involvement of both androgen and estrogen receptors (ER). Furthermore, DHT, through its conversion to 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol, has been shown to modulate estrogen response element-mediated promoter activity through an ER pathway. The present study addressed two central hypotheses: 1) that androgens directly modulate AVP promoter activity and 2) the effect is mediated by an estrogen or androgen receptor pathway. To that end, we overexpressed androgen receptor, ERβ, and ERβ splice variants in a neuronal cell line and measured AVP promoter activity using a firefly luciferase reporter assay. Our results demonstrate that DHT and its metabolite 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol stimulate AVP promoter activity through ERβ in a neuronal cell line.


Endocrinology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 146 (6) ◽  
pp. 2749-2759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishnan M. Dhandapani ◽  
F. Marlene Wade ◽  
Virendra B. Mahesh ◽  
Darrell W. Brann

Abstract 17β-Estradiol (E2) and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), such as tamoxifen, mediate numerous effects in the brain, including neurosecretion, neuroprotection, and the induction of synaptic plasticity. Astrocytes, the most abundant cell type in the brain, influence many of these same functions and thus may represent a mediator of estrogen action. The present study examined the regulatory effect and underlying cell signaling mechanisms of E2-induced release of neurotropic growth factors from primary rat cortical astrocyte cultures. The results revealed that E2 (0.5, 1, and 10 nm) and tamoxifen (1 μm) increased both the expression and release of the neuroprotective cytokines, TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 (TGF-β), from cortical astrocytes. The stimulatory effect of E2 was attenuated by the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist, ICI182,780, suggesting ER dependency. The effect of E2 also appeared to involve mediation by the phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway, because E2 rapidly induced Akt phosphorylation, and pharmacological or molecular inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway prevented E2-induced release of TGF-β. Additionally, the membrane-impermeant conjugate, E2-BSA, stimulated the release of TGF-β, suggesting the potential involvement of a membrane-bound ER. Finally, E2, tamoxifen, and E2-BSA were shown to protect neuronal-astrocyte cocultures from camptothecin-induced neuronal cell death, effects that were attenuated by ICI182,780, Akt inhibition, or TGF-β immunoneutralization. As a whole, these studies suggest that E2 induction of TGF-β release from cortical astrocytes could provide a mechanism of neuroprotection, and that E2 stimulation of TGF-β expression and release from astrocytes occurs via an ER-dependent mechanism involving mediation by the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.


2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3720-3729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Marino ◽  
Filippo Acconcia ◽  
Francesco Bresciani ◽  
Alessandro Weisz ◽  
Anna Trentalance

Estrogens induce cell proliferation in target tissues by stimulating progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Activation of cyclin D1 gene expression is a critical feature of this hormonal action. The existence of rapid/nongenomic estradiol-regulated protein kinase C (PKC-α) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signal transduction pathways, their cross talk, and role played in DNA synthesis and cyclin D1 gene transcription have been studied herein in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. 17β-Estradiol was found to rapidly activate PKC-α translocation and ERK-2/mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in this cell line. These actions were independent of each other, preceding the increase of thymidine incorporation into DNA and cyclin D1expression, and did not involve DNA binding by estrogen receptor. The results obtained with specific inhibitors indicated that PKC-α pathway is necessary to mediate the estradiol-induced G1-S progression of HepG2 cells, but it does not exert any effect(s) on cyclin D1 gene expression. On the contrary, ERK-2 cascade was strongly involved in both G1-S progression and cyclin D1gene transcription. Deletion of its activating protein-1 responsive element motif resulted in attenuation of cyclin D1 promoter responsiveness to estrogen. These results indicate that estrogen-induced cyclin D1 transcription can occur in HepG2 cells independently of the transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor, sustaining the pivotal role played by nongenomic pathways of estrogen action in hormone-induced proliferation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Kurose ◽  
J. Minami ◽  
A. Sen ◽  
N. Iwabuchi ◽  
F. Abe ◽  
...  

Intestinal barrier function is closely related to intestinal health and diseases. Recent studies demonstrate that some probiotic and commensal bacteria secrete metabolites that are capable of affecting the intestinal functions. The present study examined an enhancing effect of bioactive factors secreted by Bifidobacterium breve strain B-3 on the intestinal tight junction (TJ) barrier integrity in human intestinal Caco-2 cells. Administration of conditioned medium obtained from B. breve strain B-3 (B3CM) to Caco-2 cells for 24 h increased trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TER), a TJ barrier indicator, across their monolayers. Immunoblot, immunofluorescence, and qPCR analyses demonstrated that B3CM increased an integral TJ protein, claudin-4 expression. In luciferase reporter assay, the administration of B3CM enhanced the claudin-4 promoter activity, indicating the transcriptional upregulation of claudin-4. Site-directed mutation of specificity protein 1 (Sp1) binding sites in the claudin-4 promoter sequence and suppression of Sp1 expression by siRNA technology clearly reduced the enhancing effect of B3CM on claudin-4 promoter activity. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry detected a significant amount of acetic acid in B3CM (28.3 mM). The administration of acetic acid to Caco-2 cells partially mimicked a B3CM-mediated increase in TER, but failed to increase claudin-4 expression. Taken together, bioactive factors secreted by B. breve B-3 enhanced the TJ barrier integrity in intestinal Caco-2 cells. Transcriptional regulation of claudin-4 through Sp1 is at least in part one of the underlying molecular mechanisms. In addition, acetic acid contributes to the B3CM-mediated barrier effect independently of claudin-4 expression.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (11) ◽  
pp. 818-825
Author(s):  
Yanjun Zhao ◽  
Xijun Yang ◽  
Fufen Meng ◽  
Wenxian Li

Microglial inflammation, involved in the occurrence and development of sepsis-associated encephalopathy, exhibits upregulation of proinflammatory cytokine and proinflammatory enzyme expression, leading to inflammation-induced neuronal cell apoptosis. TIR domain containing adaptor molecule-2 (TICAM-2) participates in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mediated BV2 cell inflammation. SET8 plays a crucial role in a variety of cellular signal pathways. In this study, we hypothesize that SET8 participates in LPS-mediated microglial inflammation via modulation of TICAM-2 expression. Our data indicated that LPS induced BV2 inflammation via upregulation of TICAM-2 expression. Moreover, LPS treatment inhibited SET8 expression, while it increased activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) expression. The effects of sh-SET8 and ATF2 overexpression were similar to that of LPS treatments. Inhibition of TICAM-2 expression counteracted sh-SET8-mediated and ATF2 overexpression mediated BV2 cell inflammation. Further, SET8 was found to interact with ATF2. A mechanistic study found that H4K20me1, a downstream target of SET8, and ATF2 enriched at the TICAM-2 promoter region. Luciferase reporter assays indicated that sh-SET8 increased TICAM-2 promoter activity but augmented the effect of ATF2 overexpression on TICAM-2 promoter activity as well. Co-transfection of sh-SET8 with ATF2 overexpression more dramatically increased TICAM-2 expression in BV2 cells. The present study indicated that SET8 interacted with ATF2 to modulate TICAM-2 expression, which participated in LPS-mediated BV2 cell inflammation.


2006 ◽  
Vol 191 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liat Abovich Gilad ◽  
Oren Tirosh ◽  
Betty Schwartz

The present study assesses the effects of two isoflavones, genistein and glycitein, and equol – a product of intestinal bacterial metabolism of dietary isoflavones, on vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression in an intestinal HT29 cell line. Genistein and glycitein significantly upregulated the VDR transcription and translation in HT29 cells. The effect of equol was less pronounced. Treating HT29 cells transfected with a vector containing the VDR promoter next to a luciferase reporter with genistein or glycitein resulted in significant upregulation of VDR promoter activity, in a manner similar to that induced by 17β-estradiol (E2). Again, the effect of equol was less pronounced. VDR luciferase promoter activity was upregulated most by genistein, then by glycitein and least by equol when the VDR promoter was cotransfected with estrogen receptor β. Reporter gene and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays demonstrated that E2 upregulates AP-1 and Sp-1 sites present on the VDR gene. In contrast, the same assays demonstrated that the Sp-1, but not AP-1, site is induced by the phytoestrogens. Similar to E2, genistein, glycitein and the isoflavonoid metabolite equol induced higher concentrations of intracellular free calcium, an event that could provide the upstream mechanism(s) induced by E2 and phytoestrogens that initiates the signaling cascade which results in the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways and modulation of Sp-1 sites of the VDR gene, and culminates in enhanced VDR expression.


2005 ◽  
Vol 230 (8) ◽  
pp. 558-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Harris ◽  
E. Besselink ◽  
S. M. Henning ◽  
V. L. W. Go ◽  
D. Heber

Increased intake of phytoestrogens may be associated with a lower risk of cancer in the breast and several other sites, although there is controversy surrounding this activity. One of the mechanisms proposed to explain the activity of phytoestrogens is their ability to bind and activate human estrogen receptor a (ERα) and human estrogen receptor β (ERβ). Nine phytoestrogens were tested for their ability to transactivate ERα or ERβ at a range of doses. Mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells were co-transfected with either ERα or ERβ, and an estrogen-response element was linked to a luciferase reporter gene. Dose-dependent responses were compared with the endogenous ligand 17β-estradiol. Purified genistein, daidzein, apigenin, and coumestrol showed differential and robust transactivation of ERα- and ERβ-induced transcription, with an up to 100-fold stronger activation of ERβ. Equol, naringenin, and kaempferol were weaker agonists. When activity was evaluated against a background of 0.5 nM 17β-estradiol, the addition of genistein, daidzein, and resveratrol superstimulated the system, while kaempferol and quercetin were antagonists at the highest doses. This transfection assay provides an excellent model to evaluate the activation of ERα and ERβ by different phytoestrogens in a breast cancer context and can be used as a screening bioassay tool to evaluate the estrogenic activity of extracts of herbs and foods.


2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 2463-2478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari M. H. Doyle ◽  
Darryl L. Russell ◽  
Venkataraman Sriraman ◽  
JoAnne S. Richards

Abstract ADAMTS-1 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin-like motifs) is a multifunctional protease that is expressed in periovulatory follicles. Herein we show that induction of ADAMTS-1 message in vivo and transcription of the ADAMTS-1 promoter in cultured granulosa cells are dependent on separable but coordinate actions of LH and the progesterone receptor (PR). To analyze the molecular mechanisms by which LH and PR regulate this gene, truncations and site-specific mutants of ADAMTS-1 promoter-luciferase reporter constructs (ADAMTS-1-Luc) were generated and transfected into rat granulosa cell cultures. Three regions of the promoter were found to be important for basal activity, two of which were guanine cytosine-rich binding sites for specificity proteins Sp1/Sp3 and the third bound a nuclear factor 1-like factor. Despite the absence of a consensus PR DNA response element in the proximal ADAMTS-1 promoter, cotransfection of a PRA (or PRB) expression vector stimulated ADAMTS-1 promoter activity, a response that was reduced by the PR antagonist ZK98299. Forskolin plus phorbol myristate acetate also increased promoter activity and, when added to cells cotransfected with PRA, ADAMTS-1 promoter activity increased further. Activation of the ADAMTS-1 promoter by PRA involves functional CAAT enhancer binding protein β, nuclear factor 1-like factor, and three Sp1/Sp3 binding sites as demonstrated by transfection of mutated promoter constructs. In summary, LH and PRA/B exert distinct but coordinate effects on transactivation of the ADAMTS-1 gene in granulosa cells in vivo and in vitro with PR acting as an inducible coregulator of the ADAMTS-1 gene.


2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Vladimir Stanišić ◽  
David M. Lonard ◽  
Bert W. O'Malley

AbstractEstrogen receptor-α (ERα) is a protein with a long history of study that precedes the advent of modern molecular biology. Over the course of 50 years, ERα has been increasingly recognized as a prominent model for the study of the mechanism of gene transcription in vertebrates. It also serves as a regulatory molecule for numerous physiological and disease states. Several fundamental insights have been made using ERα as a model protein, from the discovery that endocrine hormones elicit gene transcription to our understanding of the relationship between ERα-mediated transcription and transcription factor degradation by the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). Understanding of receptor protein degradation developed alongside other aspects of its molecular biology, from early observations in the 1960s that ERα is degraded on hormone treatment to the current understanding of ERα transcriptional regulation by the UPS. Here, we present the concept of ERα turnover from the perspective of the historical development of this notion and highlight some of the latest discoveries regarding this process. We discuss the logic and significance of ERα degradation pathways in the context of cell and whole-organism homeostasis.


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