title: Identification of the estrogen receptor GPER in neoplastic and non-neoplastic human testes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Estrogen signaling is mediated by estrogen receptor beta isoforms in normal and neoplastic human testes. Recently, a G-protein-coupled-receptor (GPER) has been suggested as being involved in rapid responses to estrogens in different normal and tumor cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study investigated the GPER expression in paraffin-embedded samples from non neoplastic and neoplastic human testes (sex-cord stromal and germ cell tumors) by immunohistochemical and Western Blot analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In control testes, a positive GPER immunoreactivity was detected in Leydig and in Sertoli cells while all germ cells were immunonegative. Furthermore, neoplastic cells of the Sertoli cell tumor, Leydig cell tumor, seminoma and embryonal carcinoma samples were all immunopositive. The immunoblots of testis extracts confirmed the results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that GPER could mediate estrogen signaling in both normal and transformed somatic cells of human testis, but they reveal a differential expression of the novel estrogen receptor in non neoplastic and neoplastic germ cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rago
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maggiolini
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carpino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018236:Carcinoma, Embryonal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D006099:Granuloma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007984:Leydig Cell Tumor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*; D018239:Seminoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012707:Sertoli Cell Tumor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C109584:GPER1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled