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Estrogen regulation of chicken riboflavin carrier protein gene is mediated by ERE half sites without direct binding of estrogen receptor.

Estrogen is an important steroid hormone that mediates most of its effects on regulation of gene expression by binding to intracellular receptors. The consensus estrogen response element (ERE) is a 13bp palindromic inverted repeat with a three nucleotide spacer. However, several reports suggest that many estrogen target genes are regulated by diverse elements, such as imperfect EREs and ERE half sites (ERE 1/2), which are either the proximal or the distal half of the palindrome. To gain more insight into ERE half site-mediated gene regulation, we used a region from the estrogen-regulated chicken riboflavin carrier protein (RCP) gene promoter that contains ERE half sites. Using moxestrol, an analogue of estrogen and transient transfection of deletion and mutation containing RCP promoter/reporter constructs in chicken hepatoma (LMH2A) cells, we identified an estrogen response unit (ERU) composed of two consensus ERE 1/2 sites and one non-consensus ERE 1/2 site. Mutation of any of these sites within this ERU abolishes moxestrol response. Further, the ERU is able to confer moxestrol responsiveness to a heterologous promoter. Interestingly, RCP promoter is regulated by moxestrol in estrogen responsive human MCF-7 cells, but not in other cell lines such as NIH3T3 and HepG2 despite estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-alpha) co transfection. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) with promoter regions encompassing the half sites and nuclear extracts from LMH2A cells show the presence of a moxestrol-induced complex that is abolished by a polyclonal anti-ERalpha antibody. Surprisingly, estrogen receptor cannot bind to these promoter elements in isolation. Thus, there appears to be a definite requirement for some other factor(s) in addition to estrogen receptor, for the generation of a suitable response of this promoter to estrogen. Our studies therefore suggest a novel mechanism of gene regulation by estrogen, involving ERE half sites without direct binding of ER to the cognate elements.

Animals↗

Modulation of the hepatic expression of the estrogen-regulated mRNA stabilizing factor by estrogenic and antiestrogenic nonsteroidal xenobiotics.

Estrogen-mediated accumulation of apolipoprotein II (apoII) mRNA in the avian liver is due, in part, to its stabilization. This stabilization appears to be due to the estrogen-regulated mRNA stabilizing factor (E-RmRNASF) that is expressed in response to estrogen. The E-RmRNASF protects the mRNA from targeted endonucleolytic degradation (Ratnasabapathy, Cell Mol Biol Res 41: 583-594, 1995). To determine whether certain environmental xenobiotics altered the expression of the gene encoding E-RmRNASF by mimicking estrogen, roosters were given estrogen, tamoxifen, clomiphene, hexachlorophene, lindane, rotenone, chlordecone, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); Araclor, methoxychlor, dieldrin, toxaphene, or bisphenol-A parenterally. Uniformly radiolabeled, capped, and polyadenylated apoII mRNA, incubated in vitro in the presence of liver cytosolic extracts from birds that received estrogen, tamoxifen, hexachlorophene, chlordecone, or Araclor, remained stable, indicating that these agents were estrogenic and stimulated the expression of E-RmRNASF. However, the same mRNA was degraded in similar extracts from control roosters and those treated with clomiphene, DDT, methoxychlor, dieldrin, rotenone, toxaphene, lindane, or bisphenol-A. To determine whether the latter agents were antiestrogenic, roosters were given a 1:5 molar combination of estrogen and each of the xenobiotics. ApoII mRNA showed degradation in liver extracts from roosters that received clomiphene, toxaphene, or bisphenol-A, indicating that these agents prevented estrogenic stimulation of expression of the E-RmRNASF and were antiestrogenic. However, the rest of the xenobiotics failed to antagonize estrogenic stimulation of E-RmRNASF gene expression. These results set a precedent in showing the estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects in vivo of environmental xenobiotics on the expression of a regulatory protein involved in estrogen-mediated mRNA stabilization.

Animals↗

Limiting effects of RIP140 in estrogen signaling: potential mediation of anti-estrogenic effects of retinoic acid.

The receptor interacting protein 140 (RIP140) belongs to a unique subclass of nuclear receptor coregulators with the ability to bind and repress the action of a number of agonist-bound hormone receptors. We have previously demonstrated that all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) induction of RIP140 constitutes a rate-limiting step in the regulation of retinoid receptor signaling. Here we demonstrate that RIP140 is also a limiting regulator of estrogen receptor signaling. Overexpression of RIP140 dose dependently inhibits estrogen-dependent reporter activity in human breast cancer cells. Furthermore, small interfering RNA to RIP140 enhances estrogen-dependent signaling. Our previous studies indicate that RIP140 is a direct target of RA. We report here that RA can abrogate estrogen-mediated cell cycle re-entry. In addition, RA treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells opposes estrogen receptor-dependent reporter activity, implying that a proportion of RA effects are anti-estrogenic. We provide evidence for a role for RIP140 in mediating anti-estrogenic effects of RA. RIP140 small interfering RNA blocks RA-mediated repression of estrogen receptor activity and provides a growth advantage to estrogen-dependent cells. Together these data implicate a regulatory role for RIP140 in mediating anti-estrogenic effects of RA in estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells and suggest that acute regulation of coregulator expression may be a general mechanism to integrate diverse hormone signals.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Endometrial carcinoma risks among menopausal estrogen plus progestin and unopposed estrogen users in a cohort of postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Because unopposed estrogen substantially increases endometrial carcinoma risk, estrogen plus progestin is one menopausal hormone therapy formulation for women who have not had a hysterectomy. However, endometrial carcinoma risks among estrogen plus progestin users and among former unopposed estrogen users are not firmly established. METHODS: We evaluated endometrial carcinoma risks associated with estrogen plus progestin and unopposed estrogen therapies in 30,379 postmenopausal Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project follow-up study participants. We ascertained hormone therapy use and other risk factors during telephone interviews and mailed questionnaires between 1979 and 1998. We identified 541 endometrial carcinomas via self-report, medical records, the National Death Index, and state cancer registries. Poisson regression generated time-dependent rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: Endometrial carcinoma was significantly associated with estrogen plus progestin only use (n = 68 cancers; RR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.9-3.5), including both sequential (progestin <15 days per cycle; n = 32 cancers; RR, 3.0; 95% CI, 2.0-4.6) and continuous (progestin at least 15 days per cycle; n = 15 cancers; RR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3-4.0) regimens. The RR increased by 0.38 (95% CI, 0.20-0.64) per year of estrogen plus progestin use, and RRs increased with increasing duration of use for both regimens. The strong association with unopposed estrogen use declined after cessation but remained significantly elevated > or =10 years after last use (RR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.1). CONCLUSIONS: Both estrogen plus progestin regimens significantly increased endometrial carcinoma risk in this study. Risks among unopposed estrogen users remained elevated long after last use. The prospect that all estrogen plus progestin regimens increase endometrial carcinoma risk deserves continued research.

Aged↗

Combined therapy with estrogen and testosterone eliminates the aggravating effect of estrogen replacement therapy on glomerular injury in hypercholesterolemic female Imai rats.

Hypercholesterolemic Imai rats spontaneously develop proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis, especially male animals. Ovariectomy aggravates glomerular injury in female Imai rats. However, estrogen replacement therapy did not abolish this aggravating effect of ovariectomy and rather aggravated glomerular injury with an increase in serum levels of lipids and growth hormone (GH). Whereas we have already reported that treatment with testosterone in addition to estrogen reduces GH levels and attenuates glomerular injury as compared with estrogen alone in male Imai rats, in the present study, to investigate whether increased GH levels may contribute to an enhancing effect of estrogen on glomerular injury, we treated ovariectomized female Imai rats with estrogen pulse testosterone. Group 1 was sham operated and group 2 was ovariectomized at 6 weeks of age. Groups 3, 4, and 5 were ovariectomized and received estrogen, testosterone, or estrogen plus testosterone, respectively. Body weight, urinary protein, and serum constituents were investigated every 4 weeks from 12 to 24 weeks of age. At 24 weeks of age, the rats were studied morphologically. Each treatment with estrogen or testosterone equally aggravated glomerular injury with an increase in both proteinuria and serum lipids with increased serum GH levels in estrogen-treated rats but without influencing GH levels in testosterone-treated rats; combined treatment with estrogen plus testosterone resulted in a reduction of both proteinuria and serum lipids to levels of the controls and attenuated glomerular injury to levels close to those of controls with a reduction of the elevated serum GH levels. These results suggest that increased GH levels may contribute to an enhancing effect of estrogen replacement therapy on glomerular injury and that testosterone, when administered to the estrogen-treated rats, seems to exert an attenuating effect on glomerular injury by suppressing GH levels.

Animals↗

Pediatric endocrinology update: an overview. The essential roles of estrogens in pubertal growth, epiphyseal fusion and bone turnover: lessons from mutations in the genes for aromatase and the estrogen receptor.

The goals of this presentation are to review the essential roles of aromatase, estrogens and the estrogen receptor in pubertal growth. Estrogen deficiency due to mutations in the aromatase gene (CYP19) and estrogen resistance due to disruptive mutations in the estrogen receptor gene have no effect on normal male sexual maturation in puberty. However, they lead to absence of the pubertal growth spurt, delayed bone maturation, unfused epiphyses, continued growth into adulthood and very tall adult stature in both sexes. Gonadotropin and androgen levels are elevated in patients with either estrogen deficiency (aromatase deficiency) or estrogen resistance (estrogen receptor mutation). Glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia and lipid abnormalities are also present. Skeletal integrity is compromised. Increased bone turnover, reduced bone mineral density and osteoporosis develop in both sexes. Sexual orientation is appropriate in males and females. In females, aromatase deficiency in the ovary causes pubertal virilization and multicystic ovaries because of elevated gonadotropins and androgens. Simultaneously, secondary sexual maturation fails to occur. Placental aromatase deficiency results in virilization of the mother and her female fetus because of the accumulation of potent androgens which are not converted to estrogens. The male fetus has normal genitalia. In conclusion, estrogens are essential for normal female secondary sexual maturation, bone maturation, epiphyseal fusion, pubertal growth spurt and achievement of normal bone mineral mass. Estrogens also influence insulin sensitivity and lipid homeostasis. However, estrogens do not appear to be essential for fetal survival, placental growth, or female sexual differentiation.

Adult↗

Estrogen receptor-alpha mediates the protective effects of estrogen against vascular injury.

Blood vessel cells express the 2 known estrogen receptors, alpha and beta (ERalpha, ERbeta), which are thought to mediate estrogen inhibition of vascular injury and atherosclerosis, but the relative role of ERalpha and ERbeta in these events is controversial. Estrogen inhibits the vascular injury response to the same extent in ovariectomized female wild-type mice and in the original single gene knockout mice for ERalpha (ERalphaKO(Chapel Hill) [ERalphaKO(CH)]) and ERbeta (ERbetaKO(Chapel Hill) [ERbetaKO(CH)]). In double gene knockout mice generated by crossing these animals (ERalpha,betaKO(CH)), estrogen no longer inhibits medial thickening after vascular injury, but still inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and increases uterine weight. The partial retention of estrogen responsiveness in ERalpha,betaKO(CH) mice could be due either to the presence of a novel, unidentified estrogen receptor or to functional expression of an estrogen receptor-alpha splice variant in the parental ERalphaKO(CH) mice. To distinguish between these possibilities, we studied recently generated mice fully null for estrogen receptor alpha (ERalphaKO(Strasbourg) [ERalphaKO(St)]) and examined the effect of estrogen on the response to vascular injury. In the present study, we show that after vascular injury in ovariectomized ERalphaKO(St) mice, estrogen has no detectable effect on any measure of vascular injury, including medial area, proteoglycan deposition, or smooth muscle cell proliferation. These data demonstrate that estrogen receptor-alpha mediates the protective effects of estrogen on the response to vascular injury.

Animals↗

Estrogen receptor-beta messenger ribonucleic acid ontogeny in the prostate of normal and neonatally estrogenized rats.

Neonatal exposure to estrogens permanently alters rat prostate growth and epithelial differentiation leading to prostatic dysplasia on aging. The effects are lobe-specific, with the greatest response observed in the ventral lobe. Recently, a novel estrogen receptor (ER) complementary DNA was cloned from the rat prostate and termed ER-beta (ER beta) due to its high homology with the classical ER alpha. The protein possesses high affinity for 17beta-estradiol, indicating that ER beta is an alternate molecule for mediating estrogenic effects. Importantly, ER beta messenger RNA (mRNA) was localized to rat prostatic epithelial cells, which contrasts with the stromal localization of ER alpha in the rat prostate. The present study was undertaken to determine the ontogeny of ER beta mRNA expression in the rat prostate lobes and to examine the effects of early estrogen exposure on prostatic ER beta expression. Male rat pups were given 25 microg estradiol or oil on days 1, 3, and 5; were killed on day 1, 3 (oils only), 6, 10, 30, or 90; and prostate lobes were frozen. Longitudinal sections were processed for in situ hybridization using an 35S-labeled antisense mRNA probe corresponding to a 400-bp EcoRI-AccI fragment in the 5' untranslated region of rat ER beta complementary DNA. Image analysis was used to quantitate silver grains. In addition, total RNA was isolated from the ventral prostate (VP) and used for semiquantitative RT-PCR. Results from in situ hybridization revealed that at birth, ER beta was equivalently expressed at low levels in both mesenchymal and epithelial cells in oil-treated rats. From day 1 onwards, expression in all stromal cells slowly and significantly declined, so that in the control adult prostate, stromal ER beta mRNA was slightly above background. In the oil-treated control rats, epithelial ER beta mRNA increased to moderate levels between days 6-10 in the VP and days 10-15 in the dorsal and lateral lobes as cells began differentiation and ducts lumenized. A further significant increase in ER beta message was observed at day 30, which indicates that full epithelial ER beta expression may require the completion of functional differentiation. By day 90, expression levels were maximal and similar between the lobes. RT-PCR substantiated this developmental increase in ER beta between days 1-90. Neonatal exposure to estrogens did not have an immediate effect on prostatic ER beta mRNA levels as determined by in situ hybridization and RT-PCR. However, the marked increase in epithelial cell expression at day 30 observed in the control VP was dampened in the VP of animals exposed neonatally to estrogens. By day 90, the VP of estrogenized rats possessed low ER beta message levels compared with the high expression in oil controls. In contrast, the dorsal and lateral lobes of neonatally estrogenized rats possessed high levels of ER beta mRNA at day 90, equivalent to controls. The present data demonstrate that ER beta mRNA expression in the rat prostate is developmentally regulated, and that neonatal estrogen can affect this expression in the adult VP. Because the effect of neonatal estrogens was not immediate, the data imply that early estrogen exposure may not directly autoregulate ER beta expression, and suggests that the adult effects on ER beta mRNA expression may be indirect. The differences in ER beta mRNA imprinting in the separate lobes may account for or reflect the lobe-specific neonatal estrogen imprints previously observed in the rat prostate.

Age Factors↗

Estrogen and estrogen receptor antagonists stimulate transcription from the human retinoic acid receptor-alpha 1 promoter via a novel sequence.

We and others previously reported that up-regulation of retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR alpha) RNA and protein levels is elicited by estrogen in human breast cancer cells. We set out to determine the mechanism by which estrogen up-regulates RAR alpha. Cloning of 500 bp of the human (h) RAR alpha 1 promoter has been reported previously; we obtained this 500-bp DNA sequence by PCR techniques from human genomic DNA and tested its activity in the context of a luciferase-containing reporter vector in Hep G2 cell contransactivation assays. Estradiol elicited a 6- to 8-fold increase in luciferase activity from the reporter vector driven by hRAR alpha promoter sequence between -491 and +36 bp that was dependent on the presence of contransfected estrogen receptor (ER). Analysis of various truncated versions of this promoter sequence indicated that two regions of the sequence are sensitive to estrogen stimulation. The first resides in the region -49 to -79 bp upstream from the transcription start site and conferred approximately 2-fold activation by estrogen. This region does not contain a consensus estrogen response element, and ER binding to this DNA sequence was not observed. The second responsive sequence lies at -455 to -491 bp and conferred in additional 4- to 6-fold activation by estrogen. This upstream sequence contains two A/TGGTCA half-sites; however, direct binding of ER to this sequence was not observed. Additionally, ER DNA-binding domain mutants that are not capable of binding to DNA were just as effective as wild type ER in their ability to confer estrogen responsiveness to the RAR alpha promoter, implying that ER DNA-binding ability is not required for the estrogen-induced increase in transcriptional activity. Mutation of either half-site or of an additional immediate downstream sequence in the context of the -491 to +36 bp construct reduced the luciferase activity induction by estrogen from 6-fold to 1.5- to 2-fold. Placement of the region between -455 to -491 bp upstream of an SV40 promoter-driven luciferase vector conferred approximately 20- to 30-fold stimulation of luciferase activity by estrogen in an ER-dependent manner. The ER antagonists, 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen, keoxifene, and ICI 164384, each acted as weak agonist via the hRAR alpha promoter in contransactivation assays, exhibiting 20-30% of the efficacy that was demonstrated by estradiol. Interestingly, upon treatment of MCF7 cells with estradiol or the ER antagonists, increased levels of RAR alpha RNA and protein were observed with the antagonists as well as with estrogen.

Base Sequence↗

p130Cas interacts with estrogen receptor alpha and modulates non-genomic estrogen signaling in breast cancer cells.

Steroid hormones bind to their receptors and trans-activate target genes. Rapid non-genomic action of steroid hormones has been proposed in addition to the one at the genomic level. Estrogen has been described to activate c-Src kinase and this activation has been shown to be responsible for estrogen-dependent mitogenicity. A major substrate of c-Src kinase activity is the cytoskeletal protein p130Cas, originally identified in v-Src-transformed cells. We show that in the human breast carcinoma T47D cells, upon estrogen treatment, p130Cas rapidly and transiently associates with the estrogen receptor alpha in a multi-molecular complex containing the c-Src kinase and the p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase. Association of p130Cas with the estrogen receptor alpha occurs within 3 minutes of estrogen treatment and is dependent on c-Src kinase activation. Transient overexpression of p130Cas in T47D cells increases estrogen-dependent Src kinase and Erk1/2 MAPKs activities and accelerates their kinetics of stimulation. A similar effect was detected on estrogen-dependent cyclin D1 expression, suggesting a role for p130Cas in regulating estrogen-dependent cell cycle progression. Double-stranded small RNA interference (siRNA) by silencing endogenous p130Cas protein, was sufficient to inhibit estrogen-dependent Erk1/2 MAPKs activity and cyclin D1 induction, demonstrating the requirement of p130Cas in such events. Therefore, our data show that the adaptor protein p130Cas associates with the estrogen receptor transducing complex, regulating estrogen-dependent activation of c-Src kinase and downstream signaling pathways.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Myocardial infarction and the use of estrogen and estrogen-progestogen in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the relative risk for incident acute myocardial infarction in relation to the current use of estrogen and estrogen-progestogen. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. SETTING: Medical centers of a large prepaid health care program, the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program (KPMCP), Northern California region. PARTICIPANTS: All women hospitalized at a KPMCP center for incident acute myocardial infarction during a 3-year period from 1991 to 1994. Controls were matched to case-patients for year of birth and KPMCP facility and were selected at random from among all female members of the KPMCP. INTERVENTION: An in-person interview that included questions about current and lifetime use of estrogen and estrogen-progestogen; known cardiovascular risk factors; and other medical, sociodemographic and behavioral factors that might affect risk for myocardial infarction. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE: Odds ratios for myocardial infarction associated with use of estrogen and estrogen-progestogen. RESULTS: The odds ratio for myocardial infarction in current users of estrogen or estrogen-progestogen compared with women who had never used these agents was 0.96 (95% CI, 0.66 to 1.40) after adjustment for confounders. The odds ratio for myocardial infarction in past users of estrogen or estrogen-progestogen was 1.07 (CI, 0.72 to 1.58). Duration of hormone use was unrelated to the odds ratio for myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not show a statistically significant decrease in the odds ratio for myocardial infarction associated with current use of estrogen or estrogen-progestogen. It neither confirms nor refutes the hypothesis that hormone use prevents myocardial infarction in postmenopausal women.

Aged↗

Two estrogen replacement therapies differentially regulate expression of estrogen receptors alpha and beta in the hippocampus and cortex of ovariectomized rat.

As estrogens have been implicated in altered cognitive function associated with menopause, the purpose of the present study was to determine the regulatory effects of different estrogen preparations on the expression of estrogen receptor subtypes in the hippocampus and cortex of ovariectomized rats. The expression of estrogen receptor mRNA and protein was determined with RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Two estrogen reagents, Premarin and Progynova, were used in the present study. Premarin, a conjugated equine estrogen, down-regulated ER alpha expression in the hippocampus and cortex of ovariectomized rats and had no effect on levels of ER beta expression in the same two regions. However, Progynova (valerate estradiol) was shown to up-regulate ER beta expression in the hippocampus and cortex and had no effect on the levels of ER alpha expression. Our present data suggest that different estrogen reagents used in estrogen replacement therapy could have different regulatory effects on the expression of estrogen receptor subtypes, which might, at least in part, explain why clinically, different estrogen preparations have distinct estrogenic effects on target organs.

Animals↗