Nuclear estrogen receptors differentially regulate the cyp19a1a promoter in Trachinotus blochii
- 1School of Life and Health Sciences, School of Marine Biology and Fisheries, School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), Hainan Aquaculture Breeding Engineering Research Center, Hainan University
- 2Hainan Seed Industry Laboratory
Abstract
Estrogen signaling plays a central role in teleost ovarian differentiation, but whether nuclear estrogen receptors (Esrs) contribute to E ₂ -responsive regulation of gonadal cyp19a1a remains unclear. In this study, we characterized three nuclear estrogen receptor paralogs Esr1, Esr2a, and Esr2b in golden pompano ( Trachinotus blochii ) and examined their potential roles in 17β-estradiol (E ₂ )-responsive regulation of cyp19a1a . Re-analysis of gonadal RNA-seq data showed that esr1 , esr2a , esr2b , and cyp19a1a were coordinately upregulated and exhibited female-biased expression during early gonadal differentiation, while RT-qPCR confirmed their developmental upregulation in female gonads. Sequence and structural bioinformatic analyses demonstrated conserved DNA-binding and ligand-binding domains across the three Esr proteins. Comparative promoter prediction identified putative ESR-family binding motifs in the upstream regions of cyp19a1a in all teleost species examined, including two candidate motifs in the T. blochii cyp19a1a promoter. Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that only Esr1 and Esr2b could significantly increase cyp19a1a promoter activity and E ₂ further enhanced promoter activity in cells expressing each of the three Esrs. These results indicate that the three Esr paralogs diverge in their basal trans-activation capacity but exhibit overlapping E ₂ -dependent regulatory capacities. Furthermore, dietary E ₂ exposure for 7 days increased plasma E ₂ levels and gonadal cyp19a1a expression in genetically male juveniles without altering esr1 , esr2a , or esr2b transcript abundance. Collectively, these findings reveal subtype-specific E ₂ -responsive regulation of the cyp19a1a promoter and support a potential positive regulatory link between nuclear Esr signaling and gonadal aromatase expression during early ovarian differentiation in marine teleosts.
Related
- Positive Allosteric Modulation of mGlu and Muscarinic Receptors Differentially Regulate Nitric Oxide-Dependent Signaling in a Scopolamine-Induced Model of Cognitive Impairment
- Alpha-linolenic acid and dietary protein minimally but differentially regulate white adipose tissue lipolysis in female mice fed moderate-fat diets
- Brown and white adipocyte like cells derived exosomes differentially regulate stemness, hormone secretion, apoptosis, and lipid metabolism in model cells
- Soil texture and depth differentially regulate total and available nutrient stoichiometry in Yilong Lake basin agroecosystem, China
- Purine and pyrimidine analogs differentially regulate cell wall precursor biosynthesis to control β-lactam susceptibility in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
BibTeX
@article{hu2026nuclear,
title = {{Nuclear estrogen receptors differentially regulate the cyp19a1a promoter in Trachinotus blochii}},
author = {Chen-Hao Hu and Qian Liu and Yi-Ling Liu and Xiao-Yang Guo and Ning Chen and Ya-Ge Chang and Jing-Chuan Liu and Rui-Hai Gan and Jian Luo},
journal = {Frontiers in Endocrinology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fendo.2026.1995306},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1995306/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Nuclear estrogen receptors differentially regulate the cyp19a1a promoter in Trachinotus blochii
AU - Chen-Hao Hu
AU - Qian Liu
AU - Yi-Ling Liu
AU - Xiao-Yang Guo
AU - Ning Chen
AU - Ya-Ge Chang
AU - Jing-Chuan Liu
AU - Rui-Hai Gan
AU - Jian Luo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Frontiers in Endocrinology
DO - 10.3389/fendo.2026.1995306
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1995306/full
AB - Estrogen signaling plays a central role in teleost ovarian differentiation, but whether nuclear estrogen receptors (Esrs) contribute to E ₂ -responsive regulation of gonadal cyp19a1a remains unclear. In this study, we characterized three nuclear estrogen receptor paralogs Esr1, Esr2a, and Esr2b in golden pompano ( Trachinotus blochii ) and examined their potential roles in 17β-estradiol (E ₂ )-responsive regulation of cyp19a1a . Re-analysis of gonadal RNA-seq data showed that esr1 , esr2a , esr2b , and cyp19a1a were coordinately upregulated and exhibited female-biased expression during early gonadal differentiation, while RT-qPCR confirmed their developmental upregulation in female gonads. Sequence and structural bioinformatic analyses demonstrated conserved DNA-binding and ligand-binding domains across the three Esr proteins. Comparative promoter prediction identified putative ESR-family binding motifs in the upstream regions of cyp19a1a in all teleost species examined, including two candidate motifs in the T. blochii cyp19a1a promoter. Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that only Esr1 and Esr2b could significantly increase cyp19a1a promoter activity and E ₂ further enhanced promoter activity in cells expressing each of the three Esrs. These results indicate that the three Esr paralogs diverge in their basal trans-activation capacity but exhibit overlapping E ₂ -dependent regulatory capacities. Furthermore, dietary E ₂ exposure for 7 days increased plasma E ₂ levels and gonadal cyp19a1a expression in genetically male juveniles without altering esr1 , esr2a , or esr2b transcript abundance. Collectively, these findings reveal subtype-specific E ₂ -responsive regulation of the cyp19a1a promoter and support a potential positive regulatory link between nuclear Esr signaling and gonadal aromatase expression during early ovarian differentiation in marine teleosts.
SN - 1664-2392
ER -