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Estrogen receptor variants are present in many normal human tissues
1Cancer Research Laboratory, 491 LSA, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
International Journal of Molecular Medicine
|February 26, 2000
Summary
Estrogen receptors (ER) and their variants are found in many human tissues beyond reproductive organs. This study identified multiple ER splice variants co-existing with the wild-type receptor in diverse normal human tissues.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Estrogen receptors (ER) are crucial in reproductive tissues and other non-classical sites.
- The existence of various alternatively spliced ER variants alongside the wild-type receptor is known.
- These variants may play diverse roles in cellular function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and distribution of wild-type and variant estrogen receptors in normal human tissues.
- To identify specific alternatively spliced ER variants in different tissue types.
- To understand the broader expression profile of ER isoforms in human physiology.
Main Methods:
- Semi-nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was employed to amplify ER DNA.
- Direct automated sequencing of amplified products was used for variant identification.
- Analysis was performed on normal human tissues from various origins.
Main Results:
- Multiple spliced variants of the estrogen receptor were detected in a wide array of normal human tissues.
- These variants were found to co-exist with the wild-type estrogen receptor.
- Specific variants, notably those lacking exons 2, 4, 5, and 7, were identified in various tissues.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms the widespread presence of estrogen receptor variants in normal human tissues.
- These findings suggest a more complex role for estrogen signaling than previously understood.
- The co-existence of wild-type ER and its variants indicates potential for diverse functional outcomes in different tissues.