title: SK-ER3 neuroblastoma cells as a model for the study of estrogen influence on neural cells.
abstract: The neuroblastoma SK-ER3 cell line obtained by stable transfection of the human SK-N-BE cell line is proposed as a model for the study of estrogen receptor activity in cells of neural origin. In the SK-ER3 cell line the estrogen receptor, once activated, initiates a differentiation program leading to growth arrest, morphological changes, and acquisition of the dopaminergic phenotype. In the absence of estrogens, this program can be triggered by IGF-I, which can activate the unliganded estrogen receptor via the ras-pathway. It is proposed that this model system might recapitulate the events occurring in vivo during the differentiation of the nervous system and that IGF-I may play an important role in the activation of estrogen receptor at the very early stage of brain development affecting the differentiation of a number of hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic brain regions.
authors.affiliation: Center MPL, Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Agrati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patrone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pollio
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santagati
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vegeto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maggi
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000502:physiology; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012733:Sex Differentiation; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014998:Y Chromosome; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004958:Estradiol; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1; D018631:ras Proteins