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On a cellular level, melatonin acts as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) through decreased expression of estrogen receptor alpha and reduction in the ability of estrogen-estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) complex to bind to the estrogen response element (ERE) on DNA

Melatonin also acts as a selective estrogen enzyme modulator (SEEM), reducing the activity of aromatase in cells

some steroid hormone-induced nuclear events can occur in minutes

the genomic effects of steroid hormones take longer, with changes in gene expression occurring on the timescale of hours

Classical steroid hormone signaling occurs when hormone binds nuclear receptors (NR) in the cytoplasm, setting off a chain of genomic events that results in, among other changes, dimerization and translocation to the nucleus where the ligand-bound receptor forms a complex with coregulators to modulate gene transcription through direct interactions with a hormone response element (HRE)

NRs have been found at the plasma membrane of cells, where they can propagate signal transduction often through kinase pathways

Membrane-localized ER, PR and AR have been reported to modulate the activity of MAPK/ERK, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), nitric oxide (NO), PKC, calcium flux and increase inositol triphosphate (IP3) levels to promote cell processes including autophagy, proliferation, apoptosis, survival, differentiation, and vasodilation

ERα36, a 36kDa truncated form of ERα that lacks the transcriptional activation domains of the full-length protein. Membrane-localized ERα36 can activate pathways including protein kinase C (PKC) and/or mitogen activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) to promote the progression of various cancers

G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), also referred to as G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), is a membrane-localized receptor that has been observed to respond to estrogen to activate rapid signaling

hormone-responsive G protein coupled receptor is Zip9, which androgens can activate

GPRC6A is another G protein-coupled membrane receptor that is responsive to androgen

androgen-mediated non-genomic signaling through this GPCR can modulate male fertility, hormone secretion and prostate cancer progression

non-NR proteins located at the cell surface can bind to steroid hormones and respond by eliciting rapid signaling events

Estrogens have been shown to induce rapid (i.e. seconds) calcium flux via membrane-localized ER (mER)

ER-calcium dynamics lead to activation of kinase pathways such as MAPK/ERK which can result in cellular effects like migration and proliferation

17β-estradiol (E2) has been reported to promote angiogenesis through the activation of GPER

Membrane NRs may also mediate rapid signaling through crosstalk with growth factor receptors (GFR)

A similar crosstalk occurs between the receptor tyrosine kinase insulin-related growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-IR) and ERα. Not only does IGF-IR activate ERα, but inhibition of IGF-IR downregulates estrogen-mediated ERα activity, suggesting that IGF-IR is essential for maximal ERα signaling

Further, ER activates IGF-IR pathways including MAPK

GPER is involved in the transactivation of the EGFR independent of classical ER

tight interconnection between genomic and non-genomic effects of NRs.

non-genomic pathways can also lead to genomic effects

androgen-bound AR associates with the kinase Src at the plasma membrane, activating Src which then leads to a signaling cascade through MAPK/ERK

However, Src can also increase the expression of AR target genes by the ligand-independent transactivation of AR

extranuclear steroid hormone actions can potentially reprogram nuclear NR events

estrogen modulated the expression of several genes including endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) via rapid signaling pathways

epigenetic changes can then mediate genomic events in uterine tissue and breast cancer cells

some evidence suggests a high number of CAG repeats may be associated with cognitive aging

androgens (like other steroid hormones) promote or repress the expression of genes specifying an array of cellular proteins

diurnal variation in testosterone levels

salivary testosterone correlated negatively with participant age and positively with CAG length variation in the AR gene

CAG repeat number varied inversely with reactivity of the ventral amygdala to facial expressions of negative affect

higher salivary testosterone was likewise associated with a greater number of AR CAG repeats

relative androgen insensitivity in ARs with a larger number of CAG repeats

Because circulating testosterone is regulated via negative feedback through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, diminished androgen sensitivity at higher CAG repeat lengths may reduce feedback suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH). LH would then be maintained at higher levels, in turn promoting higher testosterone production

Testosterone up-regulates AVP expression in the amygdala

Oxytocin exerts an inhibitory influence on AVP expression in the central amygdala, and the synthesis of oxytocin is mediated by estrogen and estrogen receptors