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Computational estimation of rainbow trout estrogen receptor binding affinities for environmental estrogens.

ABSTRACT: Environmental estrogens have been the subject of intense research due to their documented detrimental effects on the health of fish and wildlife and their potential to negatively impact humans. A complete understanding of how these compounds affect health is complicated because environmental estrogens are a structurally heterogeneous group of compounds. In this work, computational molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to predict the binding affinity of different compounds using rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) estrogen receptors (ERs) as a model. Specifically, this study presents a comparison of the binding affinity of the natural ligand estradiol-17? to the four rainbow trout ER isoforms with that of three known environmental estrogens 17?-ethinylestradiol, bisphenol A, and raloxifene. Two additional compounds, atrazine and testosterone, that are known to be very weak or non-binders to ERs were tested. The binding affinity of these compounds to the human ER? subtype is also included for comparison. The results of this study suggest that, when compared to estradiol-17?, bisphenol A binds less strongly to all four receptors, 17?-ethinylestradiol binds more strongly, and raloxifene has a high affinity for the ? subtype only. The results also show that atrazine and testosterone are weak or non-binders to the ERs. All of the results are in excellent qualitative agreement with the known in vivo estrogenicity of these compounds in the rainbow trout and other fishes. Computational estimation of binding affinities could be a valuable tool for predicting the impact of environmental estrogens in fish and other animals.

SUBMITTER: Shyu C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3022107 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Computational estimation of rainbow trout estrogen receptor binding affinities for environmental estrogens.

Shyu Conrad C Cavileer Timothy D TD Nagler James J JJ Ytreberg F Marty FM

Toxicology and applied pharmacology 20101112 3

Environmental estrogens have been the subject of intense research due to their documented detrimental effects on the health of fish and wildlife and their potential to negatively impact humans. A complete understanding of how these compounds affect health is complicated because environmental estrogens are a structurally heterogeneous group of compounds. In this work, computational molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to predict the binding affinity of different compounds using rainbow tr ...[more]

PMID: 21075131

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Project description:Genomic actions of estrogens in vertebrates are exerted via two intracellular estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes, ERα and ERβ, which show cell- and tissue-specific expression profiles. Mammalian immune cells express ERs and are responsive to estrogens. More recently, evidence became available that ERs are also present in the immune organs and cells of teleost fish, suggesting that the immunomodulatory function of estrogens has been conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. For a better understanding of the sensitivity and the responsiveness of the fish immune system to estrogens, more insight is needed on the abundance of ERs in the fish immune system, the cellular ratios of the ER subtypes, and their autoregulation by estrogens. Consequently, the aims of the present study were (i) to determine the absolute mRNA copy numbers of the four ER isoforms in the immune organs and cells of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and to compare them to the hepatic ER numbers; (ii) to analyse the ER mRNA isoform ratios in the immune system; and, (iii) finally, to examine the alterations of immune ER mRNA expression levels in sexually immature trout exposed to 17β-estradiol (E2), as well as the alterations of immune ER mRNA expression levels in sexually mature trout during the reproductive cycle. All four ER isoforms were present in immune organs-head kidney, spleen-and immune cells from head kidney and blood of rainbow trout, but their mRNA levels were substantially lower than in the liver. The ER isoform ratios were tissue- and cell-specific, both within the immune system, but also between the immune system and the liver. Short-term administration of E2 to juvenile female trout altered the ER mRNA levels in the liver, but the ERs of the immune organs and cells were not responsive. Changes of ER gene transcript numbers in immune organs and cells occurred during the reproductive cycle of mature female trout, but the changes in the immune ER profiles differed from those in the liver and gonads. The correlation between ER gene transcript numbers and serum E2 concentrations was only moderate to low. In conclusion, the low mRNA numbers of nuclear ER in the trout immune system, together with their limited estrogen-responsiveness, suggest that the known estrogen actions on trout immunity may be not primarily mediated through genomic actions, but may involve other mechanisms, such as non-genomic pathways or indirect effects.

Project description:Estrogens are critical hormones involved in reproduction and need to bind to estrogen receptors in target organs for biological activity. Fishes have two distinct estrogen receptor subtypes, alpha (?) and beta (?), with variable combinations of additional isoforms of each subtype dependent on the history of genome duplication within a taxon. The comparative expression patterns of estrogen receptor isoforms during the female reproductive cycle will provide important insights into the unique function and importance of each. The purpose of this study was to measure the mRNAs for the four estrogen receptor isoforms (er?1, er?2, er?1, er?2) in the liver and ovary of adult, female rainbow trout over the course of an annual reproductive cycle. The expression of estrogen receptor mRNA isoforms was measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Several reproductive indices (gonadosomatic index, maximum oocyte diameter, plasma estradiol-17?, plasma vitellogenin, and ovulation) were also quantified for comparison and used in a correlation analysis to examine any inter-relationships. Of the four isoforms, the expression of er?1 was highest in the liver, and had a significant positive correlation with liver er?1 expression. Liver expression of er?2 mRNA was the lowest, but showed a significant positive correlation with maximum oocyte diameter in the ovary. The pattern of the er? isoforms in liver was one of initially elevated mRNA expression followed by a gradual decrease as reproductive development proceeded. In the ovary the er?1 isoform had the highest mRNA expression of all estrogen receptor isoforms, at the beginning of the reproductive cycle, but then decreased afterward. Both ovarian er? isoforms had a significant positive correlation with one another. In contrast, er?2 mRNA expression showed a high maximum level in the ovary near the end of the cycle along with a significant positive correlation with plasma estradiol-17? levels; the highest gonadosomatic indices, maximum oocyte diameter, and vitellogenin levels occurred then too.

Project description:Estrogen hormones interact with cellular ERs to exert their biological effects in vertebrate animals. Similar to other animals, fishes have two distinct ER subtypes, ERalpha (NR3A1) and ERbeta (NR3A2). The ERbeta subtype is found as two different isoforms in several fish species because of a gene duplication event. Although predicted, two different isoforms of ERalpha have not been demonstrated in any fish species. In the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), the only ER described is an isoform of the ERalpha subtype (i.e. ERalpha1, NR3A1a). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the gene for the other ERalpha isoform, ERalpha2 (i.e., NR3A1b), exists in the rainbow trout. A RT-PCR and cloning strategy, followed by screening a rainbow trout BAC library yielded a unique DNA sequence coding for 558 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence had a 75.4% overall similarity to ERalpha1. Both the rainbow trout ERbeta subtypes, ERbeta1 [NR3A2a] and ERbeta2, [NR3A2b] which were previously unknown in this species, were also sequenced as part of this study, and the amino acid sequences were found to be very different from the ERalphas (approximately 40% similarity). ERbeta1 and ERbeta2 had 594 and 604 amino acids, respectively, and had 57.6% sequence similarity when compared to one another. This information provides what we expect to be the first complete nuclear ER gene family in a fish. A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis with all other known fish ER gene sequences was undertaken to understand the evolution of fish ERs. The results show a single ERalpha subtype clade, with the closest relative to rainbow trout ERalpha2 being rainbow trout ERalpha1, suggesting a recent, unique duplication event to create these two isoforms. For the ERbeta subtype there are two distinct subclades, one represented by the ERbeta1 isoform and the other by the ERbeta2 isoform. The rainbow trout ERbeta1 and ERbeta2 are not closely associated with each other, but instead fall into their respective ERbeta subclades with other known fish species. Real-time RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA levels of all four ER isoforms (ERalpha1, ERalpha2, ERbeta1, and ERbeta2) in stomach, spleen, heart, brain, pituitary, muscle, anterior kidney, posterior kidney, liver, gill, testis and ovary samples from rainbow trout. The mRNAs for each of the four ERs were detected in every tissue examined. The liver tended to have the highest ER mRNA levels along with the testes, while the lowest levels were generally found in the stomach or heart. The nuclear ERs have a significant and ubiquitous distribution in the rainbow trout providing the potential for complex interactions that involve the functioning of many organ systems.

Project description:Reproduction in fishes and other vertebrates represents the timely coordination of many endocrine factors that culminate in the production of mature, viable gametes. In recent years there has been rapid growth in understanding fish reproductive biology, which has been motivated in part by recognition of the potential effects that climate change, habitat destruction and contaminant exposure can have on natural and cultured fish populations. New approaches to understanding the impacts of these stressors are being developed that require a systems biology approach with more biologically accurate and detailed mathematical models. We have developed a multi-scale mathematical model of the female rainbow trout hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary-liver axis to use as a tool to help understand the functioning of the system and for extrapolation of laboratory findings of stressor impacts on specific components of the axis. The model describes the essential endocrine components of the female rainbow trout reproductive axis. The model also describes the stage specific growth of maturing oocytes within the ovary and permits the presence of sub-populations of oocytes at different stages of development. Model formulation and parametrization was largely based on previously published in vivo and in vitro data in rainbow trout and new data on the synthesis of gonadotropins in the pituitary. Model predictions were validated against several previously published data sets for annual changes in gonadotropins and estradiol in rainbow trout. Estimates of select model parameters can be obtained from in vitro assays using either quantitative (direct estimation of rate constants) or qualitative (relative change from control values) approaches. This is an important aspect of mathematical models as in vitro, cell-based assays are expected to provide the bulk of experimental data for future risk assessments and will require quantitative physiological models to extrapolate across biological scales.

Dataset Information

Computational estimation of rainbow trout estrogen receptor binding affinities for environmental estrogens.

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Computational estimation of rainbow trout estrogen receptor binding affinities for environmental estrogens.

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