ERα-associated protein networks

Estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that, upon binding hormone, interacts with specific recognition sequences in DNA. An extensive body of literature has documented the association of individual regulatory proteins with ER alpha. It has recently become apparent that, instead of simply recruiting individual proteins, ER alpha recruits interconnected networks of proteins with discrete activities that play crucial roles in maintaining the structure and function of the receptor, stabilizing the receptor-DNA interaction, influencing estrogen-responsive gene expression, and repairing misfolded proteins and damaged DNA. Together these studies suggest that the DNA-bound ER alpha serves as a nucleating factor for the recruitment of protein complexes involved in key processes including the oxidative stress response, DNA repair, and transcription regulation.