Minireview: Estrogen Receptor-β: Mechanistic Insights from Recent Studies

Authors

Bonnie J. Deroo, The University of Western Ontario
Adrian V. Buensuceso, The University of Western Ontario

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2010

Journal

Molecular Endocrinology

Volume

24

Issue

9

First Page

1703

Last Page

1714

URL with Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/me.2009-0288

Abstract

The discovery of estrogen receptor-β (ERβ) in 1996 stimulated great interest in the physiological roles and molecular mechanisms of ERβ action. We now know that ERβ plays a major role in mediating estrogen action in several tissues and organ systems, including the ovary, cardiovascular system, brain, and the immune system, and that ERβ and ER{alpha} generally play distinct physiological roles in the body. Although significant progress has been made toward understanding the molecular mechanisms of ERβ action, particularly in vitro, there remains a large gap in our understanding of the mechanisms by which ERβ elicits its biological functions in a true physiological context.