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Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer
Published on: March 17, 2016
Estradiol-Induced Epigenetically Mediated Mechanisms and Regulation of Gene Expression
Tamás Kovács1, Edina Szabó-Meleg2, István M Ábrahám1
1Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary.
Abstract:
Gonadal hormone 17β-estradiol (E2) and its receptors are key regulators of gene transcription by binding to estrogen responsive elements in the genome. Besides the classical genomic action, E2 regulates gene transcription via the modification of epigenetic marks on DNA and histone proteins. Depending on the reaction partner, liganded estrogen receptor (ER) promotes DNA methylation at the promoter or enhancer regions. In addition, ERs are important regulators of passive and active DNA demethylation. Furthermore, ERs cooperating with different histone modifying enzymes and chromatin remodeling complexes alter gene transcription. In this review, we survey the basic mechanisms and interactions between estrogen receptors and DNA methylation, demethylation and histone modification processes as well as chromatin remodeling complexes. The particular relevance of these mechanisms to physiological processes in memory formation, embryonic development, spermatogenesis and aging as well as in pathophysiological changes in carcinogenesis is also discussed.
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