Regulation of estrogen receptor beta by 5' untranslated regions in breast carcinogenesis

Excerpt

Estrogen receptor (ER) expression is a key determinant of breast tumour behaviour. While the role of ERα in carcinogenesis is relatively well understood, the role of ERβ, the more recently identified receptor, remains uncertain. This is partly because analyses have been confused by a consistent discrepancy between ERβ expression at mRNA and protein levels [1]. Recently, evidence has accumulated that deregulation of gene-specific translation occurs during carcinogenesis in breast and other tissues. Regulation of ERβ translation could therefore be responsible for nonconcordance of its mRNA and protein levels, and could provide an important level of modulation of ER activity during breast cancer development. …