Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2011-3-22
pubmed:abstractText
17?-estradiol is a hormone with far-reaching organizational, activational and protective actions in both male and female brains. The organizational effects of early estrogen exposure are essential for long-lasting behavioral and cognitive functions. Estradiol mediates many of its effects through the intracellular receptors, estrogen receptor-alpha (ER?) and estrogen receptor-beta (ER?). In the rodent cerebral cortex, estrogen receptor expression is high early in postnatal life and declines dramatically as the animal approaches puberty. This decline is accompanied by decreased expression of ER? mRNA. This change in expression is the same in both males and females in the developing isocortex and hippocampus. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of estrogen receptor alpha (ER?) gene expression is critical for understanding the developmental, as well as changes in postpubertal expression of the estrogen receptor. One mechanism of suppressing gene expression is by the epigenetic modification of the promoter regions by DNA methylation that results in gene silencing. The decrease in ER? mRNA expression during development is accompanied by an increase in promoter methylation. Another example of regulation of ER? gene expression in the adult cortex is the changes that occur following neuronal injury. Many animal studies have demonstrated that the endogenous estrogen, 17?-estradiol, is neuroprotective. Specifically, low levels of estradiol protect the cortex from neuronal death following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). In females, this protection is mediated through an ER?-dependent mechanism. ER? expression is rapidly increased following MCAO in females, but not in males. This increase is accompanied by a decrease in methylation of the promoter suggesting a return to the developmental program of gene expression within neurons. Taken together, during development and in adulthood, regulation of ER? gene expression in the cortex can occur by DNA methylation and in a sex-dependent fashion in the adult brain.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
1095-6867
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
59
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
353-7
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2011
pubmed:articleTitle
Estrogen receptor-alpha gene expression in the cortex: sex differences during development and in adulthood.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. melinda.wilson@uky.edu
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Review, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural