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

The discovery of estrogen receptor-beta (ER beta) in 1996 stimulated great interest in the physiological roles and molecular mechanisms of ER beta action. We now know that ER beta 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 ER beta and ER alpha generally play distinct physiological roles in the body. Although significant progress has been made toward understanding the molecular mechanisms of ER beta action, particularly in vitro, there remains a large gap in our understanding of the mechanisms by which ER beta elicits its biological functions in a true physiological context. (Molecular Endocrinology 24: 1703-1714, 2010)