Journal Article

Identification of a Third Distinct Estrogen Receptor and Reclassification of Estrogen Receptors in Teleosts

Crews, David, Thornton, Joseph W., Dotte, Alyssa, Thomas, Peter, Hawkins, Mary Beth, Skipper, James K.

2000

Overview

This paper describes three distinct estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes: ERα , ERβ , and a unique type, ERγ , cloned from a teleost fish, the Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus; the first identification of a third type of classical ER in vertebrate species. Phylogenetic analysis shows that ERγ arose through gene duplication from ERβ early in the teleost lineage and indicates that ERγ is present in other teleosts, although it has not been recognized as such. The Atlantic croaker ERγ shows amino acid differences in regions important for ligand binding and receptor activation that are conserved in all other ERγ s. The three ER subtypes are genetically distinct and have different distribution patterns in Atlantic croaker tissues. In addition, ERβ and ERγ fusion proteins can each bind estradiol-17β with high affinity. The presence of three functional ERs in one species expands the role of ER multiplicity in estrogen signaling systems and provides a unique opportunity to investigate the dynamics and mechanisms of ER evolution.

• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,National Acad Sciences,National Academy of Sciences,The National Academy of Sciences
• Subject: Amino Acid Sequence / Amino acids / Animals / Biochemistry / Biological Sciences / Cloning / Complementary DNA / Estrogen receptors / Estrogens / Fishes - metabolism / Genetics / Hormones / In situ hybridization / Ligands / Liver / Messenger RNA / Micropogonias undulatus / Molecular Sequence Data / Ovaries / Phylogenetics / Phylogeny / Proteins / Receptors / Receptors, Estrogen - analysis / Receptors, Estrogen - classification / Receptors, Estrogen - genetics / Sequence Alignment / Signal Transduction