G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER), also known as G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GPERgene.[1] GPER binds to and is activated by the female sex hormone estradiol and is responsible for some of the rapid effects that estradiol has on cells.
The classical estrogen receptors first characterized in 1958[2] are water-soluble proteins located in the interior of cells that are activated by estrogenenic hormones such as estradiol and several of its metabolites such as estrone or estriol. These proteins belong to the nuclear hormone receptor class of transcription factors that regulate gene transcription. Since it takes time for genes to be transcribed into RNA and translated into protein, the effects of estrogens binding to these classical estrogen receptors is delayed. However, estrogens are also known to have effects that are too fast to be caused by regulation of gene transcription.[3] In 2005, it was discovered that a member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family, GPR30 also binds with high affinity to estradiol and is responsible in part for the rapid non-genomic actions of estradiol. Based on its ability to bind estradiol, GPR30 was renamed as G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). Unlike the other members of the GPCR family, which reside in the outer membrane of cells, GPER is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum.[3]
GPER is expressed in the blood vessel endothelium and is responsible for vasodilation and as a result, blood pressure lowering effects of 17β-estradiol.[21] GPER also regulates components of the renin–angiotensin system, which also controls blood pressure,[22][23] and is required for superoxide-mediated cardiovascular function and aging.[24]
Central nervous system activity
GPER and ERα, but not ERβ, have been found to mediate the antidepressant-like effects of estradiol.[25][26][27] Contrarily, activation of GPER has been found to be anxiogenic in mice, while activation of ERβ has been found to be anxiolytic.[28] There is a high expression of GPER, as well as ERβ, in oxytocin neurons in various parts of the hypothalamus, including the paraventricular nucleus and the supraoptic nucleus.[27][29] It is speculated that activation of GPER may be the mechanism by which estradiol mediates rapid effects on the oxytocin system,[27][29] for instance, rapidly increasing oxytocin receptor expression.[30] Estradiol has also been found to increase oxytocin levels and release in the medial preoptic area and medial basal hypothalamus, actions that may be mediated by activation of GPER and/or ERβ.[30] Estradiol, as well as tamoxifen and fulvestrant, have been found to rapidly induce lordosis through activation of GPER in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus of female rats.[31][32]
Metabolic roles
Female GPER knockout mice display hyperglycemia and impaired glucose tolerance, reduced body growth, and increased blood pressure.[33] Male GPER knockout mice are observed to have increased growth, body fat, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, increased osteoblast function (mineralization), resulting in higher bone mineral density and trabecular bone volume, and persistent growth plate activity resulting in longer bones.[34][35]
Clinical significance
GPER plays a role in breast cancer progression and tamoxifen resistance.[16] GPER has also been proposed as a biomarker in triple-negative breast cancer.[16] In patients with endometrial cancer GPER it is overexpressed and its associated with poor survival.[36] In other tumors, there is still a controversy over the role of GPER. For example in ovarian cancer, some studies indicate a link between GPER expression and poor prognosis, while other studies do not.[36]
↑ 4.04.1Revankar CM, Cimino DF, Sklar LA, Arterburn JB, Prossnitz ER (March 2005). "A transmembrane intracellular estrogen receptor mediates rapid cell signaling". Science. 307 (5715): 1625–30. doi:10.1126/science.1106943. PMID15705806.
↑Filardo EJ, Thomas P (October 2005). "GPR30: a seven-transmembrane-spanning estrogen receptor that triggers EGF release". Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism. 16 (8): 362–7. doi:10.1016/j.tem.2005.08.005. PMID16125968.
↑Manavathi B, Kumar R (June 2006). "Steering estrogen signals from the plasma membrane to the nucleus: two sides of the coin". Journal of Cellular Physiology. 207 (3): 594–604. doi:10.1002/jcp.20551. PMID16270355.
↑Wendler A, Albrecht C, Wehling M (August 2012). "Nongenomic actions of aldosterone and progesterone revisited". Steroids. 77 (10): 1002–6. doi:10.1016/j.steroids.2011.12.023. PMID22285849.
↑Cheng SB, Dong J, Pang Y, LaRocca J, Hixon M, Thomas P, Filardo EJ (February 2014). "Anatomical location and redistribution of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor-1 during the estrus cycle in mouse kidney and specific binding to estrogens but not aldosterone". Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 382 (2): 950–9. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2013.11.005. PMID24239983.
↑Santolla MF, De Francesco EM, Lappano R, Rosano C, Abonante S, Maggiolini M (July 2014). "Niacin activates the G protein estrogen receptor (GPER)-mediated signalling". Cell. Signal. 26 (7): 1466–1475. doi:10.1016/j.cellsig.2014.03.011. PMID24662263. Nicotinic acid, also known as niacin, is the water soluble vitamin B3 used for decades for the treatment of dyslipidemic diseases. Its action is mainly mediated by the G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 109A; however, certain regulatory effects on lipid levels occur in a GPR109A-independent manner. The amide form of nicotinic acid, named nicotinamide, acts as a vitamin although neither activates the GPR109A nor exhibits the pharmacological properties of nicotinic acid. In the present study, we demonstrate for the first time that nicotinic acid and nicotinamide bind to and activate the GPER-mediated signalling in breast cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)
↑Barton M (February 2016). "Not lost in translation: Emerging clinical importance of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor GPER". Steroids. doi:10.1016/j.steroids.2016.02.016. PMID26921679.
↑Catusse J, Wollner S, Leick M, Schröttner P, Schraufstätter I, Burger M (November 2010). "Attenuation of CXCR4 responses by CCL18 in acute lymphocytic leukemia B cells". J. Cell. Physiol. 225 (3): 792–800. doi:10.1002/jcp.22284. PMID20568229.
↑Meyer MR, Amann K, Field AS, Hu C, Hathaway HJ, Kanagy NL, Walker MK, Barton M, Prossnitz ER (February 2012). "Deletion of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor increases endothelial vasoconstriction". Hypertension. 59 (2): 507–12. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.111.184606. PMC3266468. PMID22203741. The development of the GPER-selective agonist G-114 has facilitated studies that demonstrate GPER activation induces acute vasodilation and lowers blood pressure in rodents. We18 and others17,19 have shown that acute GPER-mediated vasodilator effects are at least partly endothelium- and NO-dependent.
↑Han G, Li F, Yu X, White RE (May 2013). "GPER: a novel target for non-genomic estrogen action in the cardiovascular system". Pharmacological Research. 71: 53–60. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2013.02.008. PMID23466742.
↑Estrada-Camarena E, López-Rubalcava C, Vega-Rivera N, Récamier-Carballo S, Fernández-Guasti A (2010). "Antidepressant effects of estrogens: a basic approximation". Behav Pharmacol. 21 (5–6): 451–64. doi:10.1097/FBP.0b013e32833db7e9. PMID20700047.
↑ 36.036.1Filardo EJ (February 2018). "A role for G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in estrogen-induced carcinogenesis: Dysregulated glandular homeostasis, survival and metastasis". review. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 176: 38–48. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2017.05.005. PMID28595943.
Further reading
Filardo EJ (February 2002). "Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) transactivation by estrogen via the G-protein-coupled receptor, GPR30: a novel signaling pathway with potential significance for breast cancer". The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 80 (2): 231–8. doi:10.1016/S0960-0760(01)00190-X. PMID11897506.
Filardo EJ, Thomas P (October 2005). "GPR30: a seven-transmembrane-spanning estrogen receptor that triggers EGF release". Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism. 16 (8): 362–7. doi:10.1016/j.tem.2005.08.005. PMID16125968.
Bonaldo MF, Lennon G, Soares MB (September 1996). "Normalization and subtraction: two approaches to facilitate gene discovery". Genome Research. 6 (9): 791–806. doi:10.1101/gr.6.9.791. PMID8889548.
Owman C, Blay P, Nilsson C, Lolait SJ (November 1996). "Cloning of human cDNA encoding a novel heptahelix receptor expressed in Burkitt's lymphoma and widely distributed in brain and peripheral tissues". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 228 (2): 285–92. doi:10.1006/bbrc.1996.1654. PMID8920907.
Feng Y, Gregor P (February 1997). "Cloning of a novel member of the G protein-coupled receptor family related to peptide receptors". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 231 (3): 651–4. doi:10.1006/bbrc.1997.6161. PMID9070864.
Kvingedal AM, Smeland EB (April 1997). "A novel putative G-protein-coupled receptor expressed in lung, heart and lymphoid tissue". FEBS Letters. 407 (1): 59–62. doi:10.1016/S0014-5793(97)00278-0. PMID9141481.
Carmeci C, Thompson DA, Ring HZ, Francke U, Weigel RJ (November 1997). "Identification of a gene (GPR30) with homology to the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily associated with estrogen receptor expression in breast cancer". Genomics. 45 (3): 607–17. doi:10.1006/geno.1997.4972. PMID9367686.
Takada Y, Kato C, Kondo S, Korenaga R, Ando J (November 1997). "Cloning of cDNAs encoding G protein-coupled receptor expressed in human endothelial cells exposed to fluid shear stress". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 240 (3): 737–41. doi:10.1006/bbrc.1997.7734. PMID9398636.
Filardo EJ, Quinn JA, Bland KI, Frackelton AR (October 2000). "Estrogen-induced activation of Erk-1 and Erk-2 requires the G protein-coupled receptor homolog, GPR30, and occurs via trans-activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor through release of HB-EGF". Molecular Endocrinology. 14 (10): 1649–60. doi:10.1210/me.14.10.1649. PMID11043579.
Filardo EJ, Quinn JA, Frackelton AR, Bland KI (Jan 2002). "Estrogen action via the G protein-coupled receptor, GPR30: stimulation of adenylyl cyclase and cAMP-mediated attenuation of the epidermal growth factor receptor-to-MAPK signaling axis". Molecular Endocrinology. 16 (1): 70–84. doi:10.1210/me.16.1.70. PMID11773440.
Ahola TM, Purmonen S, Pennanen P, Zhuang YH, Tuohimaa P, Ylikomi T (May 2002). "Progestin upregulates G-protein-coupled receptor 30 in breast cancer cells". European Journal of Biochemistry / FEBS. 269 (10): 2485–90. doi:10.1046/j.1432-1033.2002.02912.x. PMID12027886.
Ahola TM, Manninen T, Alkio N, Ylikomi T (September 2002). "G protein-coupled receptor 30 is critical for a progestin-induced growth inhibition in MCF-7 breast cancer cells". Endocrinology. 143 (9): 3376–84. doi:10.1210/en.2001-211445. PMID12193550.
Ahola TM, Alkio N, Manninen T, Ylikomi T (December 2002). "Progestin and G protein-coupled receptor 30 inhibit mitogen-activated protein kinase activity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells". Endocrinology. 143 (12): 4620–6. doi:10.1210/en.2002-220492. PMID12446589.
Hamza A, Sarma MH, Sarma RH (June 2003). "Plausible interaction of an alpha-fetoprotein cyclopeptide with the G-protein-coupled receptor model GPR30: docking study by molecular dynamics simulated annealing". Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics. 20 (6): 751–8. doi:10.1080/07391102.2003.10506892. PMID12744705.
Kanda N, Watanabe S (October 2003). "17Beta-estradiol enhances the production of nerve growth factor in THP-1-derived macrophages or peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages". The Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 121 (4): 771–80. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1747.2003.12487.x. PMID14632195.
Kanda N, Watanabe S (December 2003). "17beta-estradiol inhibits oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in keratinocytes by promoting Bcl-2 expression". The Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 121 (6): 1500–9. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1747.2003.12617.x. PMID14675202.