title: Androgen rather than estrogen up-regulates brain-type cytochrome P450 aromatase (cyp19a1b) gene via tissue-specific promoters in the hermaphrodite teleost ricefield eel Monopterus albus.
abstract: CYP19A1 in the brain and pituitary of vertebrates is important for reproductive and non-reproductive processes. In teleosts, it is broadly accepted that estradiol (E(2)) up-regulates cyp19a1b gene via a positive autoregulatory loop. Our present study, however, showed that E(2) did not up-regulate ricefield eel cyp19a1b in the hypothalamus and pituitary, whereas dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or testosterone (T) stimulated cyp19a1b expression only in the pituitary. Two tissue-specific promoters, namely promoter I and II directing the expression in the brain and pituitary respectively, were identified. Promoter I contained a non-consensus estrogen response element (ERE), and consequently did not respond to E(2). Promoter II contained an androgen response element (ARE) and consequently responded to DHT. Taken together, these results demonstrated a novel steroidal regulation of cyp19a1b gene expression and an alternative usage of tissue-specific cyp19a1b promoters in the brain and pituitary of a teleost species, the ricefield eel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wenliang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Christopher H K
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Haoran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004524:Eels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D057850:Hermaphroditic Organisms; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D020218:Response Elements; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1