Estrogens are crucial determinants in the regulation of anterior pituitary function and maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Estrogen actions in this gland are exerted through both classical and non-classical mechanisms of action. This review summarizes the expression of classical α- and β-estrogen receptors and variant isoforms of estrogen receptors in anterior pituitary cell subpopulations. We ...

The breast cancer stem cells (BCSC) play important roles in breast cancer occurrence, recurrence and metastasis. However, the role of estrogen signaling, a signaling pathway important in development and progression of breast cancer, in regulation of BCSC has not been well established. Previously, we identified and cloned a variant of estrogen receptor α, ER-α36, with a molecular weight of 36 kD...

BACKGROUND Estrogen plays an important role in male reproduction, and males lacking estrogen signaling in the reproductive tissues are infertile. Estrogen signaling is mediated via two nuclear receptors, ERα and ERβ, but it was recently found that a G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is present in the testis. It is believed that GPER is a membrane form of the estrogen receptor and media...

OBJECTIVE Estrogen treatment limits the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer cell lines, suggesting that estrogen pathway signaling may confer chemotherapeutic resistance. This study investigates the molecular responses of ER+ breast cancer cell lines to the chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin, in the presence or absence of estrogen. METHODS ER+ ...

In breast cancer and normal estrogen target tissues, estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) signaling results in the establishment of spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression. Whereas primary target gene regulation by ERalpha involves recruitment of coregulatory proteins, coactivators, or corepressors, activation of these downstream promoters by receptor signaling may also involve partnership of E...

Similar to estrogens, bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) promotes the accumulation of more metabolically active subcutaneous fat and reduction of visceral fat. However, whether there is a cross-talk between BMP4 and estrogen signaling remained unknown. Herein, we found that BMP4 deficiency in white adipose tissue (WAT) increased the estrogen receptor α (ERα) level and its signaling, which prev...

Estrogens are considered as a major risk factor of endometrial cancer. In this study, we identified a mechanism of tumorigenesis in which K-Ras protein is stabilized via estrogen signaling through the ER-α36 receptor. PKCδ was shown to stabilize K-Ras specifically via estrogen signaling. Estrogens stabilize K-Ras via inhibition of polyubiquitylation-dependent proteasomal degradation. Estrogen-i...

The metabolic syndrome is a complex condition characterized by obesity, insulin resistance, decreased high-density lipoproteins, and hypertension associated with high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A major increase in the incidence of developing metabolic syndrome and related diseases is observed worldwide in association with a change toward a less active lifesty...

The G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor-1 (GPER-1), also known as GPR30, is a novel estrogen receptor mediating estrogen receptor signaling in multiple cell types. The progress of estrogen-related cancer is promoted by GPER-1 activation through mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and phospholipase C (PLC) signaling pathways. However, this promoting effect...