Project description:Estrogen receptor alpha (ERa) has generally been thought to be transcriptionally inactive until it binds estrogen. Here we show that unliganded ERa, far from being transcriptionally inert, regulates a large number of genes both in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and in mouse aorta. The genes regulated by unliganded ERa in the aorta (largely composed of smooth muscle cells) differ from those in ECs, and aorta- and EC-regulated promoters show enrichment in binding sites for distinct sets of transcription factors. In vitro, the presence of unliganded ERa decreases the migration and proliferation of ECs, and also increases proliferation of SMCs. Consistent with these effects on individual cells in vitro, mice lacking ERa, in the absence of estrogen, show significantly less SMC proliferation and medial thickening after carotid artery wire injury than ER intact mice. The effects of unliganded ERa on vascular gene expression, cell function in vitro and vascular injury responses in vivo are all reversed by the addition of estrogen. Taken together, these results indicate that unliganded ERa regulates vascular gene expression, vascular cell function, and vascular injury responses, and that the cardiovascular protective effects of estrogen may largely be due to the reversal of these effects of unliganded ERa. These results have important implications for the vascular health of men and post-menopausal women with vascular ERa and low circulating levels of estrogen. This study also raises the possibility that the steroid receptor family could have substantial hormone-independent functions in the vasculature and in other tissues.
Project description:AbstractEstradiol regulates spermatogenesis partly via estrogen receptor-alpha (ESRα). This study aimed to analyze the associations of serum estradiol level, serum ESRα level, and ESRα gene polymorphisms with sperm quality.This retrospective study included infertile men attending the Reproductive Center, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, and a control group without a history of fertility (October, 2016 to March, 2017). Data regarding sperm quality, serum levels of estradiol and ESRα, and rs2234693C/T genotype were extracted from the medical records. Pearson/Spearman correlations (as appropriate) between estradiol level, ESRα level, and sperm quality parameters were evaluated.The analysis included 215 men with infertility and 83 healthy controls. The infertile group had higher serum levels of estradiol (147.57 ± 35.3 vs 129.62 ± 49.11 pg/mL, P < .05) and ESRα (3.02 ± 2.62 vs 1.33 ± 0.56 pg/mL, P < .05) than the control group. For the infertile group, serum estradiol level was negatively correlated with sperm concentration, percentage of progressively motile sperm, and percentage of sperm with normal morphology (r = 0.309, 0.211, and 0.246, respectively; all P < .05). Serum estradiol and ESRα levels were lower in infertile men with normozoospermia than in those with azoospermia, oligozoospermia, mild azoospermia, or malformed spermatozoa (all P < .05). Sperm concentration, percentage of progressively motile sperm, serum ESRα level, and serum estradiol level did not differ significantly among the rs2234693 CC, CT, and TT genotypes.Elevated serum levels of estradiol and possibly ESRα might have a negative impact on sperm quality and fertility, whereas single nucleotide polymorphisms at rs2234693 of the ESRα gene had little or no effect.
Project description:ERα is essential for the anti-proliferative response of breast cancer cells not only to estrogen antagonists, but also to estrogen withdrawal by means of aromatase inhibitors. We explored here one of the simplest explanation for this, consisting in the possibility that ERα may have a wide genomic function in absence of ligands. The genomic binding of ERα in the complete absence of estrogen was then studied using hormone-dependent MCF7 cells, by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing. From these data, 4.2K highly significant binding events were identified, which were further confirmed by comparing binding events in cells expressing ERα to cells silenced for ERα. Apo-ERα binding sites were distributed close to genes with functions associated to cell growth and epithelial maintenance and show significant overlap with binding of other transcription factors important for luminal epithelial breast cancer. Interestingly, we found that upon ERα silencing cognate gene transcription in absence of estrogen is downregulated and this is accompanied by increased H27Kme3 at ERα binding sites. RNA-Seq experiments showed that unliganded ERα controls basal transcription widely, including both coding and noncoding transcripts. Genes affected by ERα silencing can be easily functionally related to mammary epithelium differentiation and maintenance, especially when considering downregulated genes. Additional functions related to inflammatory and immune response was observed. Our data unravel unexpected actions of ERα in breast cancer cells and provide a novel framework to understand success and failure of hormone therapy in breast cancer. Examination of unligandend estrogen receptor alpha (aERα) DNA interactions in control and aERα siRNA treated MCF7 cells.
Project description:The histone H3 lysine 4-specific methyltransferase SETD1A is associated with transcription activation and is considered a key epigenetic regulator that modulates the cell cycle and metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer cells. However, the clinical role of SETD1A in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells remains unclear. Here, we examined whether SETD1A is a potential target for ERα-positive breast cancer therapy. SETD1A expression was upregulated in breast tumor tissue compared to that in normal breast tissue. Moreover, ER-target genes regulated by SETD1A were particularly enriched in cell cycle and cancer pathways. SETD1A is involved in histone H3K4 methylation, subsequent recruitment of ERα, and the establishment of accessible chromatin structure at the enhancer region of ERα target genes. In addition to ERα target genes, other cell survival genes were also downregulated by SETD1A depletion in MCF-7 cells, leading to significant decrease in cell proliferation and migration, and spontaneous induction of apoptosis. We also found that miR-1915-3p functioned as a novel regulator of SETD1A expression in breast cells. Importantly, the growth of tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cells was effectively repressed by SETD1A knockdown. These results indicate that SETD1A may serve as a molecular target and prognostic indicator in ERα-positive breast cancer.
Project description:Estrogen drives both transcriptional activation and proteolysis of estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha; encoded by ESR1). Here we observed variable and overlapping ESR1 mRNA levels in 200 ER alpha-negative and 50 ER alpha-positive primary breast cancers examined, which suggests important posttranscriptional ER alpha regulation. Our results indicate that Src cooperates with estrogen to activate ER alpha proteolysis. Inducible Src stimulated ligand-activated ER alpha transcriptional activity and reduced ER alpha t(1/2). Src and ER alpha levels were inversely correlated in primary breast cancers. ER alpha-negative primary breast cancers and cell lines showed increased Src levels and/or activity compared with ER alpha-positive cancers and cells. ER alpha t(1/2) was reduced in ER alpha-negative cell lines. In both ER alpha-positive and -negative cell lines, both proteasome and Src inhibitors increased ER alpha levels. Src inhibition impaired ligand-activated ER alpha ubiquitylation and increased ER alpha levels. Src siRNA impaired ligand-activated ER alpha loss in BT-20 cells. Pretreatment with Src increased ER alpha ubiquitylation and degradation in vitro. These findings provide what we believe to be a novel link between Src activation and ER alpha proteolysis and support a model whereby crosstalk between liganded ER alpha and Src drives ER alpha transcriptional activity and targets ER alpha for ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Oncogenic Src activation may promote not only proliferation, but also estrogen-activated ER alpha loss in a subset of ER alpha-negative breast cancers, altering prognosis and response to therapy.
Project description:Estrogen receptor-? (ER?) has central role in hormone-dependent breast cancer and its ligand-induced functions have been extensively characterized. However, evidence exists that ER? has functions that are independent of ligands. In the present work, we investigated the binding of ER? to chromatin in the absence of ligands and its functions on gene regulation. We demonstrated that in MCF7 breast cancer cells unliganded ER? binds to more than 4,000 chromatin sites. Unexpectedly, although almost entirely comprised in the larger group of estrogen-induced binding sites, we found that unliganded-ER? binding is specifically linked to genes with developmental functions, compared with estrogen-induced binding. Moreover, we found that siRNA-mediated down-regulation of ER? in absence of estrogen is accompanied by changes in the expression levels of hundreds of coding and noncoding RNAs. Down-regulated mRNAs showed enrichment in genes related to epithelial cell growth and development. Stable ER? down-regulation using shRNA, which caused cell growth arrest, was accompanied by increased H3K27me3 at ER? binding sites. Finally, we found that FOXA1 and AP2? binding to several sites is decreased upon ER? silencing, suggesting that unliganded ER? participates, together with other factors, in the maintenance of the luminal-specific cistrome in breast cancer cells.
Project description:ERα is essential for the anti-proliferative response of breast cancer cells not only to estrogen antagonists, but also to estrogen withdrawal by means of aromatase inhibitors. We explored here one of the simplest explanation for this, consisting in the possibility that ERα may have a wide genomic function in absence of ligands. The genomic binding of ERα in the complete absence of estrogen was then studied using hormone-dependent MCF7 cells, by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing. From these data, 4.2K highly significant binding events were identified, which were further confirmed by comparing binding events in cells expressing ERα to cells silenced for ERα. Apo-ERα binding sites were distributed close to genes with functions associated to cell growth and epithelial maintenance and show significant overlap with binding of other transcription factors important for luminal epithelial breast cancer. Interestingly, we found that upon ERα silencing cognate gene transcription in absence of estrogen is downregulated and this is accompanied by increased H27Kme3 at ERα binding sites. RNA-Seq experiments showed that unliganded ERα controls basal transcription widely, including both coding and noncoding transcripts. Genes affected by ERα silencing can be easily functionally related to mammary epithelium differentiation and maintenance, especially when considering downregulated genes. Additional functions related to inflammatory and immune response was observed. Our data unravel unexpected actions of ERα in breast cancer cells and provide a novel framework to understand success and failure of hormone therapy in breast cancer.
Project description:Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) has central role in hormone-dependent breast cancer and its ligand-induced functions have been extensively characterized. However, evidence exists that ERα has functions which are independent of ligands. In the present work, we investigated the binding of ERα to chromatin in absence of ligands, and its function(s) on gene regulation. We demonstrated that in MCF7 breast cancer cells unliganded ERα binds to more than four thousands chromatin sites. Unexpectedly, although almost entirely comprised in the larger group of estrogen-induced binding sites, we found that unliganded-ERα binding is specifically linked to genes with developmental functions, as compared to estrogen-induced binding. Moreover, we found that siRNA-mediated downregulation of ERα in absence of estrogen is accompanied by changes in the expression levels of hundreds of coding and noncoding RNAs. Downregulated mRNAs showed enrichment in genes related to epithelial cell growth and development. Stable ERα downregulation using shRNA, which caused cell-growth arrest, was accompanied by increased H3K27me3 at ERα binding sites. Finally, we found that FOXA1 and AP2γ binding to several sites is decreased upon ERα silencing, suggesting that unliganded ERα participates, together with other factors, to the maintenance of the luminal-specific cistrome in breast cancer cells.