Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
14:47
Identification of MyoD Interactome Using Tandem Affinity Purification Coupled to Mass Spectrometry
Published on: May 17, 2016
Estrogen receptor regulates MyoD gene expression by preventing AP-1-mediated repression
G Pedraza-Alva1, J M Zingg, A Donda
1Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62250, Mexico. gustavo@ibt.unam.mx
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|September 3, 2009
Summary
Estrogen promotes muscle differentiation by increasing MyoD expression. It achieves this by disrupting the negative regulation of the MyoD gene by AP-1, independent of estrogen receptor DNA binding.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Cell growth and differentiation are opposing processes in muscle development.
- Growth factors inhibit muscle differentiation by upregulating transcription factors that suppress muscle regulatory genes like MyoD.
- External cues triggering cell cycle arrest enhance MyoD expression and promote muscle differentiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of estrogen in regulating MyoD expression and muscle differentiation.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which estrogen influences MyoD gene regulation.
Main Methods:
- In vivo studies using mouse skeletal muscle.
- In vitro studies using dividing myoblasts.
- Analysis of estrogen receptor and AP-1 interactions at the MyoD promoter.
Main Results:
- Estrogen was found to induce MyoD expression in mouse skeletal muscle and myoblasts.
- Estrogen relieves the MyoD promoter from negative regulation by AP-1.
- This effect involves protein-protein interactions between the estrogen receptor and AP-1, not estrogen receptor DNA binding.
Conclusions:
- Estrogen plays a crucial role in promoting muscle differentiation by upregulating MyoD expression.
- The mechanism involves a novel interaction between estrogen receptor and AP-1, decoupling MyoD regulation from classical estrogen receptor signaling pathways.
- Understanding this pathway offers insights into therapeutic strategies for muscle-related disorders.
Related Concept Videos
02:23Master Transcription Regulators
Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
02:23Master Transcription Regulators
Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
02:24Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
02:24Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
01:23Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps
The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the addition of a...
02:36RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins
Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...