title: Expression pattern of estrogen receptors α and β and G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 in the human testis.
abstract: Estrogen signaling is considered to play an important role in spermatogenesis, spermiogenesis and male fertility. Estrogens can act via the two nuclear estrogen receptors ESR1 (ERα) and ESR2 (ERβ) or via the intracellular G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER, formerly GPR30). Several reports on the localization and expression of all three receptors in the human testis have been published but are controversial particularly in case of ERα. Contrary to previous studies, we decided therefore to evaluate expression of all three receptors in the testis by a number of different methods and in comparison with MCF-7 cells. Using qPCR, we could show that mRNA expression of ERα is considerably lower and expression of ERβ and GPER much higher in the testis than in MCF-7 cells. RT-PCR after laser-assisted microdissection of tubular and interstitial compartments from normal and Sertoli cell only syndrome testes plus in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analyses of the same samples demonstrated that there is very low expression of ERα in germ cells and in single interstitial cells, very high expression of ERβ in germ cells and Sertoli cells and high expression of GPER in interstitial cells and less in Sertoli cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fietz
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ratzenböck
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Oksana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Raabe
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kliesch
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weidner
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klug
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bergmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; C109584:GPER1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled