Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Analysis of Cell Cycle Position in Mammalian Cells
12:19

Analysis of Cell Cycle Position in Mammalian Cells

Published on: January 21, 2012

Cell cycle control by steroid hormones

E A Musgrove1, R L Sutherland

  • 1Cancer Biology Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Seminars in Cancer Biology
|October 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Steroid hormones regulate cell proliferation through cell cycle-specific actions. Understanding how steroids control cell cycle progression, particularly gene activation by estrogens and progestins, is key.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Steroid hormones influence target cell proliferation, with effects varying by steroid type and cell. These actions are specific to cell cycle phases.
  • The precise molecular mechanisms underlying steroid hormone control of cell cycle progression remain incompletely understood.
  • Emerging knowledge of cell cycle regulation by proto-oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and cyclin-dependent kinases offers frameworks for studying steroid-mediated proliferation control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which steroid hormones regulate cell cycle progression.
  • To investigate the role of specific genes, such as c-fos, c-myc, and cyclin D1, in steroid-controlled proliferation.
  • To establish a paradigm for understanding steroid-mediated cell cycle control in cancer cells.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of transcriptional activation and inhibition of key cell cycle genes.
  • Utilizing breast cancer cell models to study the effects of estrogens, progestins, and antiestrogens.
  • Applying recent advances in cell cycle control mechanisms involving proto-oncogenes and cyclin-dependent kinases.

Main Results:

  • Estrogens and progestins were shown to transcriptionally activate genes including c-fos, c-myc, and cyclin D1 in breast cancer cells.
  • Antiestrogens demonstrated inhibition of the expression of these critical cell cycle-related genes.
  • These findings highlight a specific molecular pathway through which steroid hormones impact cell proliferation.

Conclusions:

  • Steroid hormones, specifically estrogens and progestins, exert control over cell cycle progression via transcriptional regulation of genes like c-fos, c-myc, and cyclin D1.
  • The observed effects are cell- and steroid-specific, mediated by actions within particular cell cycle phases.
  • This study provides a foundational model for further research into steroid hormone action and its implications in cancer biology.

More Related Videos

Measuring Cell Cycle Progression Kinetics with Metabolic Labeling and Flow Cytometry11:23

Measuring Cell Cycle Progression Kinetics with Metabolic Labeling and Flow Cytometry

Published on: May 22, 2012

Studying Cell Cycle-regulated Gene Expression by Two Complementary Cell Synchronization Protocols12:02

Studying Cell Cycle-regulated Gene Expression by Two Complementary Cell Synchronization Protocols

Published on: June 6, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Positive Regulator Molecules01:45

Positive Regulator Molecules

To consistently produce healthy cells, the cell cycle—the process that generates daughter cells—must be precisely regulated.
The Cell Cycle Control System02:11

The Cell Cycle Control System

The cell cycle is an organized set of events that leads the cell to divide into two daughter cells, each containing chromosomes identical to the parent cell. It is the cell cycle that leads to the formation of an entire organism from a single-cell zygote. Besides, cell division also functions in the renewal or repair of tissues in adult multicellular eukaryotes. For example, in the bone marrow, the stem cells divide to form new blood cells. Although essential for several functions, cell...
The Cell Cycle Control System02:11

The Cell Cycle Control System

The cell cycle is an organized set of events that leads the cell to divide into two daughter cells, each containing chromosomes identical to the parent cell. It is the cell cycle that leads to the formation of an entire organism from a single-cell zygote. Besides, cell division also functions in the renewal or repair of tissues in adult multicellular eukaryotes. For example, in the bone marrow, the stem cells divide to form new blood cells. Although essential for several functions, cell...
The Cell Cycle Control System01:28

The Cell Cycle Control System

The cell cycle regulation directs how a cell proceeds from one phase to the next and begins mitosis. The cell cycle control system includes intracellular regulatory molecules and external triggers. They provide "stop" or "advance" signals and operate at specific cell cycle stages termed checkpoints to ensure that a particular process is completed before the cell advances to the next phase.
Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) are the primary cell cycle regulators and function at the cell...
Molecular Factors Affecting Cell Division01:27

Molecular Factors Affecting Cell Division

Several external and internal factors influence the initiation and inhibition of cell division. For instance, the death of nearby cells or the release of human growth hormone (hGH) promotes cell division. In contrast, lack of hGH or crowding of cells can inhibit cell division.
Several proteins function as internal regulators to ensure each cell cycle stage is completed faithfully before proceeding to the next. Regulator molecules may act directly or influence the activity or production of other...
Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle01:30

Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle

The ovarian cycle is meticulously regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This cycle orchestrates the release of a mature oocyte, essential for reproduction.
Before puberty, the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a low frequency, low amplitude pulsatile manner. This along with the immature hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, results in low estrogen levels and the absence of a fully functional ovarian cycle.  At puberty, GnRH secretion increases in both frequency and...