title: A tumor-specific truncated estrogen receptor splice variant enhances estrogen-stimulated gene expression.
abstract: This study examines the cooperative effects of a human estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) isoform on estrogen (E2)-mediated gene activation in U2-OS osteosarcoma cells. Delta5ERalpha, an alternatively spliced ERalpha variant lacking exon 5, is coexpressed with normal ERalpha in several E2-responsive neoplastic tissues. However, the potential interactions of delta5ERalpha with normal ERalpha have not been functionally characterized. Delta5ERalpha encodes the hormone-independent trans-activating function (AF-1), as well as the constitutive receptor dimerization and DNA-binding domains. It is generated by an alternate splice event that omits exon 5 and alters the reading frame of the resulting mRNA. The delta5ERalpha protein is prematurely truncated and lacks the majority of the hormone-binding and activating function-2 (AF-2) domains. When delta5ERalpha mammalian expression vector was transfected alone in human ERalpha/ERbeta-negative osteosarcoma U2-OS cells, it had no effect on either basal or E2-mediated EREtk81Luc reporter transcriptional activity, while transfected cells expressing control normal ERalpha increased EREtk81 Luc activity up to 20-fold in response to 10 nM E2. However, when delta5ERalpha was cotransfected with normal ERalpha, both basal and E2-stimulated EREtk81Luc reporter activation were increased approximately 500% over levels observed when cells were transfected with ERalpha alone. Similar effects of delta5ERalpha and normal ERa coexpression were observed using an E2-responsive human C3 promoter/luciferase reporter construct. The effects of delta5ERalpha on normal ERalpha were further assessed in U2-OS cells stably transfected with normal ERalpha. Transfection of increasing amounts of delta5ERalpha expression vector into [ERalpha+]OS cells resulted in potentiation of E2-stimulated ERELuc activity in a synergistic, dose-dependent manner. Moreover, coexpression of delta5ERalpha in [ERalpha+]OS cells improved E2 sensitivity 100-fold over cells expressing ERalpha alone. Proliferation rates of stable U2-OS cell lines expressing delta5ERalpha were significantly increased (P < 0.05), with cell doubling times reduced from 35 h in control parental U2-OS cells to 28 h in [delta5ERalpha]OS cells. However, growth rates were not affected by either E2 or tamoxifen treatment. Electromobility shift/supershift assays using nuclear extracts of U2-OS cells stably transfected with ERalpha and delta5ERalpha confirmed the constitutive binding of delta5ERalpha and ERalpha protein to estrogen-response element (ERE) sequence independent of E2 and also showed an increase in delta5ERalpha/ERalpha-ERE complexes with E2 treatment. These data are consistent with interactive effects of normal ERalpha and delta5ERalpha on transcription from classic ERE gene promoters. Delta5ERalpha appears to therefore act as a dominant positive receptor that increases both basal and E2-stimulated gene transactivation of normal ERalpha.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, USA.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chaidarun
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D004958:Estradiol