TY - JOUR
T1 - Diversity of ovarian steroid signaling in the hypothalamus
AU - Rønnekleiv, Oline K.
AU - Kelly, Martin J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Ms. Anna Malyala for her constructive comments on the manuscript, and Ms. Martha Bosch for her skilled assistance with the illustrations and manuscript preparation. The work from the authors laboratories was supported by NIH grants from: NS 43330, NS 35944, NS 38809, and DA 05158, and the Office of Research on Women’s Health.
PY - 2005/9
Y1 - 2005/9
N2 - It is well known that many of the actions of gonadal steroids in hypothalamic neurons are mediated via intracellular receptor/transcription factors that interact with steroid response elements on target genes. Since the cloning of the intracellular steroid receptors/transcription factors, it has been assumed that most if not all of the actions of the gonadal steroids are mediated via these intracellular receptors. However, there now exist compelling evidence for membrane (G-protein-coupled) steroid receptors for estrogen and progesterone in hypothalamic and other brain neurons. But, it is not well understood how steroids signal via membrane receptors, and how these signals impact not only membrane excitability but also gene transcription in hypothalamic neurons. Indeed, it has been known for sometime that gonadal steroids can rapidly alter hypothalamic neuronal activity within seconds, indicating that some cellular effects can occur via membrane delimited events. In addition, gonadal steroids can affect second messenger systems, including calcium and various kinases to prompt and/or alter cell signaling. Therefore, this chapter will consider our current knowledge of rapid (i.e., seconds to minutes) membrane-initiated and intracellular signaling as well as classical nuclear receptor signaling by gonadal steroids in hypothalamic neurons, the nature of these receptors and how they contribute to homeostatic functions.
AB - It is well known that many of the actions of gonadal steroids in hypothalamic neurons are mediated via intracellular receptor/transcription factors that interact with steroid response elements on target genes. Since the cloning of the intracellular steroid receptors/transcription factors, it has been assumed that most if not all of the actions of the gonadal steroids are mediated via these intracellular receptors. However, there now exist compelling evidence for membrane (G-protein-coupled) steroid receptors for estrogen and progesterone in hypothalamic and other brain neurons. But, it is not well understood how steroids signal via membrane receptors, and how these signals impact not only membrane excitability but also gene transcription in hypothalamic neurons. Indeed, it has been known for sometime that gonadal steroids can rapidly alter hypothalamic neuronal activity within seconds, indicating that some cellular effects can occur via membrane delimited events. In addition, gonadal steroids can affect second messenger systems, including calcium and various kinases to prompt and/or alter cell signaling. Therefore, this chapter will consider our current knowledge of rapid (i.e., seconds to minutes) membrane-initiated and intracellular signaling as well as classical nuclear receptor signaling by gonadal steroids in hypothalamic neurons, the nature of these receptors and how they contribute to homeostatic functions.
KW - Cross talk
KW - Estrogen
KW - Genomic actions
KW - Membrane actions
KW - Progesterone
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U2 - 10.1016/j.yfrne.2005.05.001
DO - 10.1016/j.yfrne.2005.05.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 16009409
AN - SCOPUS:23744479362
SN - 0091-3022
VL - 26
SP - 65
EP - 84
JO - Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology
JF - Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology
IS - 2
ER -