Estrogen receptor β isoform-specific induction of transforming growth factor β-inducible early gene-1 in human osteoblast cells: An essential role for the activation function 1 domain

The estrogen receptors (ER) α and β are important ligand-mediated transcription factors known to play significant biological roles in numerous tissues including bone. Despite the high homology shared by these receptors, recent studies have suggested that their function is largely unique. Although these receptors have been studied in detail for more than a decade, little data exist concerning the mechanisms by which these two proteins regulate distinct sets of genes. Using the TGFβ-inducible early gene-1 (TIEG) as a model, we demonstrate that TIEG is rapidly induced in response to estrogen in osteoblasts by ERβ, but not ERα. We have identified the regulatory elements utilized by ERβ and have demonstrated that ERβ recruits steroid receptor coactivator (SRC)1 and SRC2 to this regulatory region. Additionally, deletion of the ERβ-activation function 1 (AF1) domain drastically decreases the estrogen induction of TIEG. Through the use of chimeric receptors, we have demonstrated that the AF1 domain of ERβ is responsible for recruiting SRC1 and SRC2 and inducing the expression of TIEG in osteoblasts. Finally, SRC1, but not SRC2, is essential for TIEG induction by ERβ. Overall, these data demonstrate that the estrogen induction of TIEG is ERβ specific and that the AF1 domain of ERβ confers this specificity. Finally, a novel and important role for ERβ's AF1 is implicated in the recruitment of specific coactivators, suggesting that the AF1 may play a significant role in conferring the differences in regulation of gene expression by these two receptors.