Estrogen receptors and function in the male reproductive system.
A substantial advance in our understanding on the estrogen signaling occurred in the last decade. Estrogens interact with two receptors, ESR1 and ESR2, also known as ERalpha and ERbeta, respectively. ESR1 and ESR2 belong to the nuclear receptor family of transcription factors. In addition to the well established transcriptional effects, estrogens can mediate rapid signaling, triggered within seconds or minutes. These rapid effects can be mediated by ESRs or the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor GPER, also known as GPR30. The effects of estrogen on cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis are often mediated by growth factors. The understanding of the cross-talk between androgen, estrogen and growth factors signaling pathways is therefore essential to understand the physiopathological mechanisms of estrogen action. In this review we focused on recent discoveries about the nature of the estrogen receptors, and on the signaling and function of estrogen in the male reproductive system.
Lazari
Maria Fatima Magalhães
MF
Setor de Endocrinologia Experimental, Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Lucas
Thais Fabiana Gameiro
TF
Yasuhara
Fabiana
F
Gomes
Gisele Renata Oliveira
GR
Siu
Erica Rosanna
ER
Royer
Carine
C
Fernandes
Sheilla Alessandra Ferreira
SA
Porto
Catarina Segreti
CS
D000818:Animals; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen