Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer
10:36

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer

Published on: March 17, 2016

Estrogen-related receptor γ modulates cell proliferation and estrogen signaling in breast cancer

Nobuhiro Ijichi1, Takashi Shigekawa, Kazuhiro Ikeda

  • 1Division of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan.

The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
|October 2, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ) is frequently expressed in breast cancer and promotes cell proliferation. Estrogen up-regulates ERRγ, suggesting ERRγ modulates estrogen signaling in hormone-dependent breast cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Breast cancer is often hormone-dependent, influenced by estrogen and progesterone.
  • Estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) are structurally similar to estrogen receptors (ERs) and are implicated in breast cancer progression.
  • The specific role of ERRγ in breast cancer and its interaction with estrogen signaling requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the expression of ERRγ in human invasive breast cancers.
  • To determine the relationship between ERRγ expression and clinicopathological characteristics.
  • To explore the functional role of ERRγ in estrogen signaling and breast cancer cell proliferation.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemical analysis of ERRγ expression in 110 human invasive breast cancer samples.
  • In vitro studies using MCF-7 and 293T cells to assess ERRγ mRNA regulation by estrogen and its effect on cell proliferation and transcriptional activity.
  • Treatment with estrogen and ICI 182,780 to evaluate estrogen-dependent regulation of ERRγ.

Main Results:

  • Nuclear ERRγ immunoreactivity was detected in 79% of breast cancer cases and correlated with lymph node status.
  • Estrogen dose-dependently up-regulated ERRγ mRNA in MCF-7 cells, an effect blocked by ICI 182,780.
  • Overexpression of ERRγ increased MCF-7 cell proliferation and enhanced estrogen response element (ERE)-driven transcription, with or without ERα.

Conclusions:

  • ERRγ is frequently expressed in invasive breast cancer and may serve as a prognostic marker.
  • Estrogen signaling positively regulates ERRγ expression in breast cancer cells.
  • ERRγ functions as a modulator of estrogen signaling, promoting breast cancer cell proliferation and transcriptional activity.

More Related Videos

Profiling of Estrogen-regulated MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer Cells16:24

Profiling of Estrogen-regulated MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer Cells

Published on: February 21, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs01:15

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are mature endosomes that sort ubiquitinated proteins and then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sorted proteins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) form a complex that can be internalized through endocytosis, sorted into an MVB, and later degraded.
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that  lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR  stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive  EGFR activation may...
TGF - β Signaling Pathway01:16

TGF - β Signaling Pathway

The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors are of three kinds RI, RII, and RIII. The RI...
Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors01:31

Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors

Nuclear receptors, or NRs, are unique transcription factors that regulate gene transcription and affect the cellular pathways involved in reproduction, development, or metabolism. Their ability to be stimulated by small lipophilic ligands and control vital cellular processes makes them ideal drug targets. Nearly 10-15% of currently prescribed drugs target these receptors.
About 48 different soluble family members of nuclear receptors are identified that can be divided into two main classes:
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...