Summary: Researchers have discovered that estrogen’s fast action on neurons is mediated by the estrogen receptor-alpha ( ER-alpha ) coupling with the chloride ion channel Clic1. This connection allows hormone to control brain impulses within milliseconds, influencing processes like feeling, consciousness, and physique weight.
The study provides new insights into how this testosterone affects the brain by revealing a novel mechanism beyond estrogen’s slower dna transcription activity. These findings make it possible to investigate the same mechanisms that govern female anatomy and another nuclear receptors.
Important Information:
- Estrogen’s strong neurological results are mediated by the ER-alpha-Clic1 advanced.
- Clic1 atom currents are vital for estrogen’s quick influence on neurons.
- Disrupting the Clic1 protein in animals altered estrogen’s oversight of body fat.
Origin: Baylor College of Medicine
Estrogen, the big adult ovarian hormone, may trigger nerve impulses within milliseconds to manage a variety of biological processes.
At Baylor College of Medicine, Louisiana State University and collaborating institutions, researchers discovered that estrogen’s fast actions are mediated by the coupling of the estrogen receptor-alpha ( ER-alpha ) with an ion channel protein called Clic1.
Clic1 controls the rapid flow of electric charged salt particles through the cell membrane, which cells use for receiving, conducting and transmitting signs. The researchers believe that hormone can trigger quick synaptic responses through Clic1 ion currents by interfering with the ER-alpha-Clic1 intricate.
The research appeared in , Science Advances.
” Estrogen may work in the mind to manage a variety of physiological processes, including female fertility, erotic behaviors, feeling, praise, pressure response, cognition, cardio activities and body weight balance. Many of these features are mediated by hormone bound to one of its receptor, ER-alpha”, said co-corresponding author , Dr. Yong Xu, doctor of , pediatrics , – feeding and associate director for basic science at , the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor.  ,
Fast and slow
It is well known that ER-alpha enters the body cell, where it initiates the translation of genes, upon hormone excitement. This traditional method of acting as a nuclear sensor takes days to time.
” Hormone also can change the fire activity of cells in a way of seconds, but it was not obvious how this happens”, Xu said.
It made no sense to us in this instance that ER-alpha’s minutes-long nuclear sensor work was involved in such a quick action. We explored the possibility that ion channels, proteins in the body layer that govern the strong flux of ions, controlled estrogen’s fast actions.”
The team used cell lines and animal models to look for cell membrane proteins that interact with ER-alpha in the current study. They found that protein Clic1, for chloride intracellular channel protein-1, can physically interact with ER-alpha. Clic1has been implicated in the regulation of neuronal excitability, so the researchers considered it a candidate to mediate estrogen-triggered fast actions.
” We discovered that estrogen enhances Clic1-mediated ion currents, and eliminating estrogen reduced such currents,” Xu said.
” In addition, Clic1 currents are required for estrogen to induce rapid responses in neurons. Also, disrupting the Clic1 gene in animal models blunted estrogen regulation of female body weight balance.”
The research suggests that other nuclear receptors might have an interaction with ion channels, something the researchers are looking forward to doing in the future.
This study was conducted using female mice. However, Clic1 is also present in males. We are interested in investigating its role in male physiology,” Xu said.
Chloride channels are not as well studied as other ion channels, such as potassium, sodium or calcium channels.
” We are among the first to study the role Clic1 plays in female physiology,” Xu said”. We hope that the results of our investigations will encourage other field organizations to carry out these promising investigations.
About this news about neuroscience research
Author: Taylor Barnes
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
Contact: Taylor Barnes – Baylor College of Medicine
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
Yong Xu and colleagues ‘ work” Identification of an ionic mechanism for ER-mediated rapid excitation in neurons.” Science Advances
Abstract
Identification of a ionic mechanism for neurons ‘ ER-mediated rapid excitation
17-ethylisol, the main female ovarian hormone, has the ability to alter neuronal excitability in milliseconds and regulate a variety of physiological processes.
Estrogen receptor-α ( ERα ), classically known as a nuclear receptor, exists as a membrane-bound receptor to mediate this rapid action of E2, but the ionic mechanisms remain unclear.
Here, we show that a membrane channel protein, chloride intracellular channel protein-1 ( Clic1 ), can physically interact with ERα with a preference to the membrane-bound ERα. Clic1-mediated currents can be enhanced by E2 , and reduced by its depletion.
In addition, Clic1 currents are required to mediate the E2-induced rapid excitations in multiple brain ERα populations. Further, genetic disruption of Clic1 in hypothalamic ERα neurons blunts the regulations of E2 , on female body weight balance.
In summary, we identified the Clic1 chloride channel as a key mediator of E2-induced rapid neuronal excitation, which may have a significant impact on a number of neurobiological processes that are regulated by E2.
