1. G protein-coupled receptor 48 upregulates estrogen receptor α expression via cAMP/PKA signaling in the male reproductive tract
- Author
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Dali Li, Jingjing Jiang, Nengguang Fan, Yan Lu, Huijie Zhang, Jun Yang, Jia Xu, Ruya Liu, Mingyao Liu, Jiqiu Wang, Hai-Yan Sun, Guang Ning, and Xiaoying Li
- Subjects
Male ,Chromatin Immunoprecipitation ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Blotting, Western ,Fluorescent Antibody Technique ,Estrogen receptor ,CREB ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ,Mice ,Internal medicine ,Testis ,Cyclic AMP ,medicine ,Animals ,Promoter Regions, Genetic ,Receptor ,Molecular Biology ,Cells, Cultured ,Infertility, Male ,Estrogen receptor beta ,G protein-coupled receptor ,Epididymis ,Mice, Knockout ,biology ,Estrogen Receptor alpha ,Efferent ducts ,Luteinizing Hormone ,Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases ,Immunohistochemistry ,Endocrinology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,biology.protein ,Female ,Follicle Stimulating Hormone ,Estrogen receptor alpha ,Signal Transduction ,Developmental Biology - Abstract
The epididymis and efferent ducts play major roles in sperm maturation, transport, concentration and storage by reabsorbing water, ions and proteins produced from seminiferous tubules. Gpr48-null male mice demonstrate reproductive tract defects and infertility. In the present study, we found that estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) was dramatically reduced in the epididymis and efferent ducts in Gpr48-null male mice. We further revealed that ERalpha could be upregulated by Gpr48 activation via the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. Moreover, we identified a cAMP responsive element (Cre) motif located at -1307 to -1300 bp in the ERalpha promoter that is able to interact with Cre binding protein (Creb). In conclusion, Gpr48 participates in the development of the male epididymis and efferent ducts through regulation of ERalpha expression via the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway.
- Published
- 2010
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