title: Expression of estrogen receptor α in the mouse cerebral cortex.
abstract: Although estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and 17β-estradiol play critical roles in protecting the cerebral cortex from ischemia-induced damage, there has been some controversy about the expression of ERα in this region of the brain. We have examined ERα mRNA and protein levels in the cerebral cortices of female mice at postnatal days 5 and 17 and at 4, 13, and 18 months of age. We found that although ERα transcript levels declined from postnatal day 5 through 18 months of age, ERα protein levels remained stable. Importantly, expression of the E2-regulated progesterone receptor gene was sustained in younger and in older females suggesting that age-related changes in estrogen responsiveness in the cerebral cortex are not due to the absence of ERα protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Alicia K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Gwendolyn I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA. Electronic address: anardull@life.illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nardulli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D008136:Longevity; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: Aging; Cerebral cortex; Estrogen receptor alpha; Progesterone receptor