Endocrine-Related Cancer 16
(4)
1073
-1089
DOI: 10.1677/ERC-09-0086
Copyright © 2009 by the Society for Endocrinology
Genomic actions of estrogen receptor
: what are the targets and how are they regulated?
Willem-Jan Welboren,
Fred C G J Sweep1,
Paul N Span1,2 and
Hendrik G Stunnenberg
Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands Departments of
1 , Chemical Endocrinology
2 Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
(Correspondence should be addressed to H G Stunnenberg; Email: h.stunnenberg{at}ncmls.ru.nl)
The estrogen receptor
(ER
) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that regulates a large number of genes in many different target tissues and is important in the development and progression of breast cancer. ER
-mediated transcription is a complex process regulated at many different levels. The interplay between ligand, receptor, DNA sequence, cofactors, chromatin context, and post-translational modifications culminates in transcriptional regulation by ER
. Recent technological advances have allowed the identification of ER
target genes on a genome-wide scale. In this review, we provide an overview of the progress made in our understanding of the different levels of regulation mediated by ER
. We discuss the recent advances in the identification of the ER
-binding sites and target gene network and their clinical applications.
Copyright © 2009 by the Society for Endocrinology.