Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1-2
pubmed:dateCreated
1999-8-24
pubmed:abstractText
The sex steroids and the peptide hormone oxytocin are both ancient modulators of the reproductive system of most metazoan species responsible for tissue differentiation and acute events respectively. In vivo experimentation implies estrogenic control of both the oxytocin (OT) gene and that for its receptor (OTR). Yet neither gene promoter appears able to bind classic estrogen-dependent nuclear receptors (ER) in vitro. The literature is confused by some transfected cell culture experiments which suggest that the human and rat OT gene promoter can be regulated by both ER alpha and ER beta through a major hormone response element at -160 bp upstream of the transcription start site. These findings depended, however, upon the presence of a high molar excess of the nuclear estrogen receptor. The current consensus suggests that the sex steroids are acting indirectly on both the OT and OTR genes, possibly involving intermediate transcription factors or cofactors. They may also act upon the OTR at the cell membrane, though more study is needed before the few current observations can be generalized. Due to the OT system being so ancient and fundamental to all aspects of reproduction, it is likely that the mechanisms by which the sex steroids influence this system are going to be of general importance to many other basic aspects of reproductive control.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
0303-7207
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
25
pubmed:volume
151
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
95-101
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1999
pubmed:articleTitle
The role of sex steroids in the oxytocin hormone system.
pubmed:affiliation
Institute for Hormone and Fertility Research, University of Hamburg, Germany. ivell@rrz.uni-hamburg.de
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't