Androgen receptors and endocrine disrupting substances

• Throughout the animal kingdom, organisms are dependent on substances such as steroid hormones to help them maintain internal balances. Examples of important tasks that are under regulation of steroid hormones are somatic and gonadal development, sexual performance and behavior (both social and sexual) as well as sex differentiation. Balance in the biology of reproduction is important for all organisms, and is sensitive to alterations and disturbances. If the environment is altered in a manner that lead to higher estrogenic or androgenic levels, the sex ratio of organisms that do not rely on genetic differences in the sex differentiation, will be biased towards more females or males in the population. It has been known for some time that there are pollutants in the environment that affect steroid pathways, such as the estrogenic and thyroid systems, but not much has been known about the androgenic systems. Examples of populations being masculinized have been recorded, and estrogenic compounds have been known to act as antiandrogens, but not until recently the first androgen agonist was identified. We used a combination of in vitro and computational modeling to identify the brominated flame retardant, 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2-dibromoethyl)cyclohexane, as a potent androgen agonist to the human androgen receptor.In addition to this we cloned and characterized the androgen receptor from, a frequently used model organism, zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a receptor primarily activated by 11-ketotestosterone. This is a feature the zebrafish share with several other teleost fishes, such as the three-spined stickleback. Thus fish androgen receptors differ from most mammalian androgen receptors, where dihydrotestosterone is the most potent activator. 

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Androgen receptor

Brominated flame retardant

TBECH

Endocrine disruptor

Biology

Biologi

NATURAL SCIENCES

NATURVETENSKAP

Biology

Biologi

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

dok (subject category)