Expression of a novel member of estrogen response element-binding nuclear receptors is restricted to the early stages of chorion formation during mouse embryogenesis

• Published in: Mechanisms of development Vol. 54; no. 2; pp. 211 - 223
• Main Authors: Pettersson, Katarina, Svensson, Kristian, Mattsson, Ragnar, Carlsson, Bo, Ohlsson, Rolf, Berkenstam, Anders
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 1996
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Amniotic folds/chorion; Animals; Base Sequence; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line; Chorion - embryology; DNA - metabolism; DNA, Complementary; Embryonic and Fetal Development - genetics; Estrogen response element; Female; Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; hsp90; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Orphan receptor; Protein Binding; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - genetics; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - metabolism; Receptors, Estrogen - genetics; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Amniotic folds/chorion; hsp90; Estrogen response element; Orphan receptor; GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTOR; PROTEIN; orphan receptor; amniotic folds chorion; HORMONE RECEPTORS; EMBRYONAL CARCINOMA-CELLS; AMINO-ACIDS; estrogen response element; GENE-EXPRESSION; RETINOIC ACID RECEPTOR; SUPERFAMILY; DIFFERENTIATION
• ISSN: 0925-4773; 1872-6356
• DOI: 10.1016/0925-4773(95)00479-3

Members of the nuclear hormone receptor gene family of transcription factors have been shown to be expressed in characteristic patterns during mouse organogenesis and postnatal development. Using an RT-PCR based screening assay, we have identified nuclear receptors expressed in embryonal carcinoma stem cells. One of the cDNAs characterized, mERR-2, was found to be expressed exclusively during a narrow developmental window in trophoblast progenitor cells between days 6.5 and 7.5 post coitum (p.c.). From 8.5 days p.c. and onwards, the mERR-2 gene activity evaded detection as analysed by in situ hybridization. We also show that the mERR-2 gene product and the estrogen receptor share a common target DNA-sequence recognition specificity unique among members of the gene family. Furthermore, efficient homodimerization and DNA-binding of the orphan receptor mERR-2 was found to be dependent on interaction with the heat shock protein 90, a molecular chaperone hitherto recognized to interact only with the steroid hormone receptor subgroup of nuclear receptors. Based on our results we suggest that the mouse orphan receptor mERR-2 has the potential to regulate overlapping gene networks with the estrogen receptor and may participate in signal transduction pathways during a short developmental period coinciding with the formation of the chorion.