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Kerstin W. Sinkevicius, Muriel Laine, Tamara L. Lotan, Karolina Woloszyn, John H. Richburg, Geoffrey L. Greene, Estrogen-Dependent and -Independent Estrogen Receptor-α Signaling Separately Regulate Male Fertility, Endocrinology, Volume 150, Issue 6, 1 June 2009, Pages 2898–2905, https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2008-1016
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Estrogen receptor-α (ERα) plays a critical role in male reproductive tract development and fertility. To determine whether estrogen-dependent and -independent ERα mechanisms are involved in male fertility, we examined male estrogen nonresponsive ERα knock-in mice. These animals have a point mutation (G525L) in the ligand-binding domain of ERα that significantly reduces interaction with, and response to, endogenous estrogens but does not affect growth factor activation of ligand-independent ERα pathways. Surprisingly, we found that ligand-independent ERα signaling is essential for concentrating epididymal sperm via regulation of efferent ductule fluid reabsorption. In contrast, estrogen-dependent ERα signaling is required for germ cell viability, most likely through support of Sertoli cell function. By treating estrogen nonresponsive ERα knock-in (ENERKI) mice with the ERα selective synthetic agonist propyl pyrazole triol, which is able to bind and activate G525L ERα in vivo, we discovered male fertility required neonatal estrogen-mediated ERα signaling. Thus, our work indicates both estrogen-dependent and -independent pathways play separable roles in male murine reproductive tract development and that the role of ERα in human infertility should be examined more closely.
