title: Estrogen stimulates estrogen-related receptor alpha gene expression through conserved hormone response elements.
abstract: The estrogen-related receptor alpha gene encodes a nuclear receptor protein, ERR alpha, whose structure is closely related to the estrogen receptors. ERR alpha modulates estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated signaling pathways both positively and negatively. It is selectively expressed in a variety of cell types during development and in adult tissues. We have previously shown that estrogen stimulates the expression of the ERR alpha gene in mouse uterus. In this study, we found that the ERR alpha gene is stimulated by estrogen in mouse uterus and heart but not in liver. Estrogen also stimulates the expression of ERR alpha in the human breast and endometrial cell lines. The human ERR alpha gene promoter contains multiple Sp1 binding sites, and the Sp1 protein is required for the promoter activity. The major estrogen response is mediated by a 34-bp DNA element that contains multiple steroid hormone response element half-sites (MHREs) that are conserved between the human and mouse ERR alpha gene promoters. Mutations made at a single or multiple sites of the MHREs abolished the ER-mediated transcription of the element in transient transfection experiments. By chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we demonstrated the interaction between ER alpha and MHREs of the endogenous ERR alpha gene promoter in MCF-7 cells. Estrogen treatment further enhanced the association of ER alpha and MHREs in vivo. The present study demonstrated that the ERR alpha gene is a downstream target of ER alpha.
authors.affiliation: Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Dianxin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gladwell
authors.forename: Christina T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Teng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000502:physiology; D006728:Hormones / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D000097983:ERRalpha Estrogen-Related Receptor
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D006728:Hormones; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; D000097983:ERRalpha Estrogen-Related Receptor