Enmark E, Pelto-Huikko M, Grandien K, Lagercrantz S, Lagercrantz J, Fried G, Nordenskjöld M, Gustafsson J A
Center for Biotechnology, Novum, Huddinge, Sweden.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Dec;82(12):4258-65. doi: 10.1210/jcem.82.12.4470.
The estrogen receptor (ER) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the effects of the steroid hormone 17 beta-estradiol, in both males and females. Since the isolation and cloning of ER, the consensus has been that only one such receptor exists. The finding of a second subtype of ER (ER beta) has caused considerable excitement amongst endocrinologists. In this article, we present data regarding the genomic structure and chromosomal localization of the human ER beta gene, demonstrating that two independent ER genes do exist in the human. Furthermore, we present data regarding the tissue distribution of human ER beta, showing that this receptor is expressed in multiple tissues. For instance, ER beta is found in developing spermatids of the testis, a finding of potential relevance for the ongoing debate on the effects of environmental estrogens on sperm counts. In addition, we find ER beta in ovarian granulosa cells, indicating that estrogens also participate in the regulation of follicular growth in the human.
雌激素受体（ER）是一种配体激活的转录因子，在男性和女性中均介导类固醇激素17β-雌二醇的作用。自ER被分离和克隆以来，人们一直认为只存在一种这样的受体。第二种ER亚型（ERβ）的发现引起了内分泌学家的极大关注。在本文中，我们展示了关于人类ERβ基因的基因组结构和染色体定位的数据，证明人类确实存在两个独立的ER基因。此外，我们展示了关于人类ERβ组织分布的数据，表明该受体在多种组织中表达。例如，在睾丸发育中的精子细胞中发现了ERβ，这一发现对于当前关于环境雌激素对精子数量影响的争论具有潜在的相关性。此外，我们在卵巢颗粒细胞中发现了ERβ，表明雌激素也参与人类卵泡生长的调节。
