Estrogen response element-dependent regulation of transcriptional activation of estrogen receptors alpha and beta by coactivators and corepressors.

One mechanism by which ligand-activated estrogen receptors alpha and beta (ERalpha and ERbeta) stimulate gene transcription is through direct ER interaction with specific DNA sequences, estrogen response elements (EREs). ERE-bound ER recruits coactivators that stimulate gene transcription. Binding of ER to natural and synthetic EREs with different nucleotide sequences alters ER binding affinity, conformation, and transcriptional activity, indicating that the ERE sequence is an allosteric effector of ER action. Here we tested the hypothesis that alterations in ER conformation induced by binding to different ERE sequences modulates ER interaction with coactivators and corepressors. CHO-K1 cells transfected with ERalpha or ERbeta show ERE sequence-dependent differences in the functional interaction of ERalpha and ERbeta with coactivators steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1), SRC-2 (glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein 1 (GRIP1)), SRC-3 amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1) and ACTR, cyclic AMP binding protein (CBP), and steroid receptor RNA activator (SRA), corepressors nuclear receptor co-repressor (NCoR) and silencing mediator for retinoid and thyroid hormone receptors (SMRT), and secondary coactivators coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) and protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1). We note both ligand-independent as well estradiol- and 4-hydroxytamoxifen-dependent differences in ER-coregulator activity. In vitro ER-ERE binding assays using receptor interaction domains of these coregulators failed to recapitulate the cell-based results, substantiating the importance of the full-length proteins in regulating ER activity. These data demonstrated that the ERE sequence impacts estradiol-and 4-hydroxytamoxifen-occupied ERalpha and ERbeta interaction with coregulators as measured by transcriptional activity in mammalian cells.

Response element sequence modulates estrogen receptor alpha and beta affinity and activity.

The relationship between estrogen receptor (ER)-estrogen response element (ERE) binding affinity and estradiol (E(2))-induced transcription has not been systematically or quantitatively tested. We examined the influence of ERE palindrome length and the 3' ERE flanking sequence on ERalpha and ERbeta affinity binding in vitro and on the induction of reporter gene activity in transfected cells. The addition of one nucleotide in each arm of the 13 bp ERE palindrome, forming a 15 bp ERE palindrome, increased ERalpha and ERbeta affinity and transcription. In contrast, the addition of an AT-rich flanking sequence from genes highly stimulated by E(2) had little effect on affinity or reporter gene activity. Notable differences between ERalpha and ERbeta include: both K(d) and transcriptional induction were generally higher for ERalpha than ERbeta, better correlation between ERE palindrome length and transcriptional induction for ERalpha than ERbeta, and a better correlation between (ER-ERE)K(d) and transcriptional induction for ERalpha than for ERbeta.

Short heterodimer partner (SHP) orphan nuclear receptor inhibits the transcriptional activity of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR)/AHR nuclear translocator (ARNT).

SHP (short heterodimer partner) is an orphan nuclear receptor lacking a DNA binding domain that interacts with nuclear receptors (NR) including thyroid receptor (TR), retinoic acid receptors (RAR and RXR), and estrogen receptors alpha and beta (ERalpha and ERbeta). SHP acts as a negative regulator of these receptors by inhibiting DNA binding and transcriptional activation. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) binds to arylhydrocarbon receptor (AHR), activating the AHR/AHR nuclear translocator (ARNT) heterodimer. We investigated the physical and functional interaction of SHP with AHR/ARNT. In RL95-2 human endometrial carcinoma cells, SHP inhibited TCDD-stimulated reporter activity from the AHR-responsive CYP1A1 and UGT1A6 gene promoters in a concentration-dependent manner. In GST pull-down assays, ARNT interacted directly with SHP in vitro, but AHR did not interact with GST-SHP. SHP inhibited AHR/ARNT-DNA binding in vitro. These results identify ARNT as a novel SHP target. We speculate a role for SHP in the suppression of agonist-activated AHR/ARNT activity.

Estrogen response element sequence impacts the conformation and transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor alpha.

Estrogens play a critical role in mammary gland development, bone homeostasis, reproduction, and the pathogenesis of breast cancer by activating estrogen receptors (ERs) alpha and beta. Ligand-activated ER stimulates the expression of target proteins by interacting with specific DNA sequences: estrogen response elements (EREs). We have demonstrated that the ERE sequence and the nucleotide sequences flanking the ERE impact ERalpha binding affinity and transcriptional activation. Here, we examined whether the sequence of the ERE modulates ERalpha conformation by measuring changes in sensitivity to protease digestion. ERalpha, occupied by estradiol (E2) or 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT), was incubated with select EREs and digested by chymotrypsin followed by a Western analysis with antibodies to ERalpha. ERE binding increased the sensitivity of ERalpha to chymotrypsin digestion. We found both ligand-specific and ERE-specific differences in ERalpha sensitivity to chymotrypsin digestion. The ERE-mediated increase in ERalpha sensitivity to chymotrypsin digestion correlates with E2-stimulated transcriptional activity from the same EREs in transiently transfected cells. Transcriptional activity also correlates with the affinity of ERalpha-ERE binding in vitro. Our results support the hypothesis that the ERE sequence acts as an allosteric effector, altering ER conformation. We speculate that ERE-induced alterations in ERalpha conformation modulate interaction with co-regulatory proteins.

Resveratrol acts as a mixed agonist/antagonist for estrogen receptors alpha and beta.

Epidemiological evidence indicates that phytoestrogens inhibit cancer formation and growth, reduce cholesterol levels, and show benefits in treating osteoporosis. At least some of these activities are mediated through the interaction of phytoestrogens with estrogen receptors alpha and beta (ERalpha and ERbeta). Resveratrol, trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene, is a phytoestrogen in grapes that is present in red wine. Resveratrol was shown to bind ER in cytosolic extracts from MCF-7 and rat uteri. However, the contribution of ERalpha vs. ERbeta in this binding is unknown. Here we report that resveratrol binds ERbeta and ERalpha with comparable affinity, but with 7,000-fold lower affinity than estradiol (E2). Thus, resveratrol differs from other phytoestrogens that bind ERbeta with higher affinity than ERalpha. Resveratrol acts as an estrogen agonist and stimulates ERE-driven reporter gene activity in CHO-K1 cells expressing either ERalpha or ERbeta. The estrogen agonist activity of resveratrol depends on the ERE sequence and the type of ER. Resveratrol-liganded ERbeta has higher transcriptional activity than E2-liganded ERbeta at a single palindromic ERE. This indicates that those tissues that uniquely express ERbeta or that express higher levels of ERbeta than ERalpha may be more sensitive to resveratrol's estrogen agonist activity. For the natural, imperfect EREs from the human c-fos, pS2, and progesterone receptor (PR) genes, resveratrol shows activity comparable to that induced by E2. We report that resveratrol exhibits E2 antagonist activity for ERalpha with select EREs. In contrast, resveratrol shows no E2 antagonist activity with ERbeta. These data indicate that resveratrol differentially affects the transcriptional activity of ERalpha and ERbeta in an ERE sequence-dependent manner.

Comparison of transcriptional synergy of estrogen receptors alpha and beta from multiple tandem estrogen response elements.

Estrogen receptors alpha and beta (ERalpha and ERbeta) act as ligand-dependent transcriptional enhancers. We reported that ERalpha induces synergistic activation of luciferase reporter gene activity in response to E(2) from three or four tandem copies of a consensus estrogen response element (ERE) in transiently transfected MCF-7 cells. Here we addressed three questions: (1) is the synergistic activation of reporter gene activity from multiple tandem EREs by ERalpha restricted to MCF-7 cells?; (2) does ERbeta induce synergistic activation of reporter activity from multiple tandem EREs?; and (3) does ERbeta bind cooperatively to multiple tandem EREs? To address the first two questions, ER-negative CHO-K1 cells were co-transfected with ERalpha or ERbeta and ERE-driven reporter plasmids. Both ERalpha and ERbeta activated ERE-driven luciferase gene activity in an estradiol-dependent manner. Induction by ERbeta was lower than ERalpha from each ERE. We demonstrate that both ERalpha and ERbeta induce transcriptional synergy with three or four, but not two, tandem copies of an ERE. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) indicated an increase in ER-ERE binding affinity associated with cooperative binding of ERalpha and ERbeta to multiple EREs that may be responsible for transcriptional synergy in transiently transfected cells. We also postulate that interaction of ERalpha and ERbeta with coactivators may also play a role in transcriptional synergy.