Indirect mechanisms and cascades of androgen action.
Androgens are the main hormones responsible for the induction of the male phenotype. This process involves a complex combination of reversible and irreversible effects. As for other steroid hormones, many of the effects of androgens are mediated by a specific intracellular receptor that interacts with cis-acting regulatory regions (AREs) in the affected genes. Apart from these direct effects, however, androgens may indirectly affect the expression of a variety of genes that do not necessarily contain AREs. Indirect effects may be related to androgen-induced changes in the concentration or activity of secondary transcription factors, autocrine and paracrine mediators, and circulating hormones. Such indirect effects may induce cascade-like actions and may play an important role in more complex effects of androgens involving coordinated responses of genes, cells and organs.
Verhoeven
G
G
Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Onderwijs en Navorsing, Gasthuisberg, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. guido.verhoeven@med.kuleuven.ac.be
Swinnen
J V
JV
D000728:Androgens / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000502:physiology; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000502:physiology
D000728:Androgens