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Progress in Molecular Biology and... 2015The endocrine system has profound regulatory effects within the human body and thus the ability to control and maintain appropriate function within many physiological... (Review)
Review
The endocrine system has profound regulatory effects within the human body and thus the ability to control and maintain appropriate function within many physiological systems (i.e., homeostasis). The hormones associated with the endocrine system utilize autocrine, paracrine, or endocrine actions on the cells of their target tissues within these physiologic systems to adjust homeostasis. The introduction of exercise as a stressor to disrupt homeostasis can greatly amplify and impact the actions of these hormones. To that end, the endocrine response to an acute exercise session occurs in a progression of phases with the magnitude of the response being relative to the exercise work intensity or volume. Various physiologic mechanisms are considered responsible for these responses, although not all are completely understood or elucidated. Chronic exercise training does not eliminate the acute exercise response but may attenuate the overall effect of the responsiveness as the body adapts in a positive fashion to the training stimulus. Regrettably, an excessive intensity and/or volume of training may lead to maladaptation and is associated with inappropriate endocrine hormonal responses. The mechanisms leading to a deleterious maladaptive state are not well understood and require additional research for elucidation.
Topics: Animals; Endocrine System; Epigenesis, Genetic; Exercise; Hormones; Humans
PubMed: 26477919
DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.07.001 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2007Relaxin and INSL3 are novel autocrine/paracrine insulin-like hormones in tumor biology. Both effectors can bind to and activate the leucine-rich G-protein coupled... (Review)
Review
Relaxin and INSL3 are novel autocrine/paracrine insulin-like hormones in tumor biology. Both effectors can bind to and activate the leucine-rich G-protein coupled receptors LGR7 relaxin receptor) or LGR8 (relaxin/INSL3 receptor). These relaxin-like ligand-receptor systems modulate cellular functions and activate signaling cascades in a tumor-specific context leading to changes in tumor cell proliferation, altered motility/migration and enhanced production/secretion ofpotent proteolytic enzymes. Matrix-metalloproteinases (MMP), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) and acid hydrolases such as cathepsins can facilitate tissue degradation and represent important proteolytic mediators of relaxin-like actions on tumor cell invasion and metastasis. This review presents recent new findings and emphasises the important functions of the relaxin/INSL3 ligand-receptor system as novel autocrine/paracrine effectors influencing tumor progression and tissue invasiveness.
Topics: Animals; Autocrine Communication; Cell Movement; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Insulin; Ligands; Male; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Proteins; Neoplasms; Paracrine Communication; Proteins; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 18161484
DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-74672-2_8 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2019G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest superfamily of integral membrane protein receptors. As signal detectors, the several 100 known GPCRs are... (Review)
Review
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest superfamily of integral membrane protein receptors. As signal detectors, the several 100 known GPCRs are responsible for sensing the plethora of endogenous ligands that are critical for the functioning of our endocrine system. Although GPCRs are typically considered as detectors for first messengers in classical signal transduction pathways, they seldom operate in isolation in complex biological systems. Intercellular communication between identical or different cell types is often mediated by autocrine or paracrine signals that are generated upon activation of specific GPCRs. In the context of energy homeostasis, the distinct complement of GPCRs in each cell type bridges the autocrine and paracrine communication within an organ, and the various downstream signaling mechanisms regulated by GPCRs can be integrated in a cell to produce an ultimate output. GPCRs thus act as gatekeepers that coordinate and fine-tune a response. By examining the role of GPCRs in activating and receiving autocrine and paracrine signals, one may have a better understanding of endocrine diseases that are associated with GPCR mutations, thereby providing new insights for treatment regimes.
PubMed: 31354618
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00428 -
Molecular Endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.) Aug 2007Sequencing of genomes from diverse organisms facilitates studies on the repertoire of genes involved in intercellular signaling. Extending previous efforts to annotate... (Review)
Review
Sequencing of genomes from diverse organisms facilitates studies on the repertoire of genes involved in intercellular signaling. Extending previous efforts to annotate most human plasma membrane receptors in the Human Plasma Membrane Receptome database, we matched cognate ligands with individual receptors by surveying the published literature. In the updated online database we called "liganded receptome," users can search for individual ligands or receptors to reveal their pairing partners and browse through receptor or ligand families to identify relationships between ligands and receptors in their respective families. Because local signaling systems are prevalent in diverse normal and diseased tissues, we used the liganded receptome knowledgebase to interrogate DNA microarray datasets for genome-wide analyses of potential paracrine/autocrine signaling systems. In addition to viewing ligand-receptor coexpression based on precomputed DNA microarray data, users can submit their own microarray data to perform online genome-wide searches for putative paracrine/autocrine signaling systems. Investigation of transcriptome data based on liganded receptome allows the discovery of paracrine/autocrine signaling for known ligand-receptor pairs in previously uncharacterized tissues or developmental stages. The present annotation of ligand-receptor pairs also identifies orphan receptors and ligands without known interacting partners in select families. Because hormonal ligands within the same family usually interact with paralogous receptors, this genomic approach could also facilitate matching of orphan receptors and ligands. The liganded receptome is accessible at http://receptome.stanford.edu.
Topics: Animals; Autocrine Communication; Databases, Genetic; Humans; Ligands; Paracrine Communication; Receptors, Cell Surface; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 17550980
DOI: 10.1210/me.2007-0087 -
The Journal of Experimental Medicine Feb 2021Macrophages help defend the host against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the major cause of tuberculosis (TB). Once phagocytized, Mtb resists killing by macrophages,...
Macrophages help defend the host against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the major cause of tuberculosis (TB). Once phagocytized, Mtb resists killing by macrophages, replicates inside them, and leads to their death, releasing Mtb that can infect other cells. We found that the death of Mtb-infected mouse macrophages in vitro does not appear to proceed by a currently known pathway. Through genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screening, we identified a critical role for autocrine or paracrine signaling by macrophage-derived type I IFNs in the death of Mtb-infected macrophages in vitro, and blockade of type I IFN signaling augmented the effect of rifampin, a first-line TB drug, in Mtb-infected mice. Further definition of the pathway of type I IFN-mediated macrophage death may allow for host-directed therapy of TB that is more selective than systemic blockade of type I IFN signaling.
Topics: Animals; Autocrine Communication; CRISPR-Cas Systems; Cell Death; Cell Line; HEK293 Cells; Humans; Interferon Type I; Macrophages; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Paracrine Communication; RAW 264.7 Cells; Rifampin; Signal Transduction; Tuberculosis
PubMed: 33125053
DOI: 10.1084/jem.20200887 -
Animal Reproduction Science Sep 2008It is well established in many mammalian species, including the horse that normal testicular function is dependent upon a functional hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular... (Review)
Review
It is well established in many mammalian species, including the horse that normal testicular function is dependent upon a functional hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) axis, which involves classic feedback mechanisms. The major HPT hormones involved in the stallion are gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), estrogens (Es) and inhibin (INH). Although prolactin (PRL) fluctuates with season in the stallion and both PRL and thyroid hormone (TH) affect reproduction in other male species, their effects on stallion reproduction have not been elucidated. Growth hormone (GH) in the stallion may be involved in sperm motility, production and secretion of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and LH-induced testosterone release. The action of these hormones and the products involved for normal spermatogenesis require cell to cell communication within the testis. The somatic cell types, Leydig, Sertoli and peritubular myoid cells, all support germ cell development, maturation and release into the seminiferous tubule lumen. The cell to cell crosstalk involves an intricate network of paracrine-autocrine systems that support the endocrine input to modulate cell function. In other male species, researchers have demonstrated the reproductive effects of such paracrine-autocrine factors as IGF-1, transferrin, androgens, estrogens, inhibin, insulin like peptide 3 (INSL3), beta-endorphin and oxytocin. The specific nature and relative contribution of these various factors on testicular function in fertile and subfertile stallions are under investigation. This review summarizes current information regarding the nature of the multiple endocrine-paracrine-autocrine systems that may be necessary for normal testicular function in the stallion.
Topics: Animals; Autocrine Communication; Endocrine System; Fertility; Homeostasis; Horses; Male; Models, Biological; Paracrine Communication; Testis
PubMed: 18571346
DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2008.05.004 -
Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism Oct 2012Impaired insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells is a major factor in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The main regulator of insulin secretion is the plasma... (Review)
Review
Impaired insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells is a major factor in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The main regulator of insulin secretion is the plasma glucose concentration. Insulin secretion is modified by other nutrients, circulating hormones and the autonomic nervous system, as well as local paracrine and autocrine signals. Autocrine signalling involves diffusible molecules that bind to receptors on the same cell from which they have been released. The first transmitter to be implicated in the autocrine regulation of β-cell function was insulin itself. The importance of autocrine insulin signalling is underscored by the finding that mice lacking insulin receptors in β-cells are glucose intolerant. In addition to insulin, β-cells secrete a variety of additional substances, including peptides (e.g. amylin, chromogranin A and B and their cleavage products), neurotransmitters (ATP and γ-aminobutyric acid) and ions (e.g. zinc). Here we review the autocrine effects of substances secreted from β-cells, with a focus on acute effects in stimulus-secretion coupling, present some novel data and discuss the general significance of autocrine signals for the regulation of insulin secretion.
Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Autocrine Communication; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Humans; Insulin; Insulin Secretion; Insulin-Secreting Cells; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Neuropeptide Y; Rats; Receptor, Insulin; Signal Transduction; Zinc; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
PubMed: 22928575
DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-1326.2012.01642.x -
Journal of Dairy Science Jan 2016The mammary gland has a remarkable capacity for regulation at a local level, particularly with respect to its main function: milk secretion. Regulation of milk synthesis... (Review)
Review
The mammary gland has a remarkable capacity for regulation at a local level, particularly with respect to its main function: milk secretion. Regulation of milk synthesis has significant effects on animal and human health, at the level of both the mother and the neonate. Control by the mammary gland of its essential function, milk synthesis, is an evolutionary necessity and is therefore tightly regulated at a local level. For at least the last 60 yr, researchers have been interested in elucidating the mechanisms underpinning the mammary gland's ability to self-regulate, largely without the influence from systemic hormones or signals. By the 1960s, scientists realized the importance of milk removal in the capacity of the gland to produce milk and that the dynamics of this removal, including emptying of the alveolar spaces and frequency of milking, were controlled locally as opposed to traditional systemic hormonal regulation. Using both in vitro systems and various mammalian species, including goats, marsupials, humans, and dairy cows, it has been demonstrated that the mammary gland is largely self-regulating in its capacity to support the young, which is the evolutionary basis for milk production. Local control occurs at the level of the mammary epithelial cell through pressure and stretching negative-feedback mechanisms, and also in an autocrine fashion through bioactive factors within the milk which act as inhibitors, regulating milk secretion within the alveoli themselves. It is only within the last 20 to 30 yr that potential candidates for these bioactive factors have been examined at a molecular level. Several, including parathyroid hormone-related protein, growth factors (transforming growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, epidermal growth factor), and serotonin, are synthesized within and act upon the gland and possess dynamic receptor activity resulting in diverse effects on growth, calcium homeostasis, and milk composition. This review will focus on the autocrine-paracrine regulation of the mammary gland, with an examination of both foundational work and the progress made within the last 10 to 20 yr of research.
Topics: Animals; Autocrine Communication; Cattle; Epithelial Cells; Female; Goats; Humans; Lactation; Mammary Glands, Animal; Mammary Glands, Human; Milk; Paracrine Communication; Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; Prolactin; Serotonin
PubMed: 26299162
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-9828 -
Clinical Cancer Research : An Official... Oct 2023The response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) often differs between genders in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but metanalyses results are controversial, and no...
PURPOSE
The response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) often differs between genders in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but metanalyses results are controversial, and no clear mechanisms are defined. We aim at clarifying the molecular circuitries explaining the differential gender-related response to anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 agents in NSCLC.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
We prospectively analyzed a cohort of patients with NSCLC treated with ICI as a first-line approach, and we identified the molecular mechanisms determining the differential efficacy of ICI in 29 NSCLC cell lines of both genders, recapitulating patients' phenotype. We validated new immunotherapy strategies in mice bearing NSCLC patient-derived xenografts and human reconstituted immune system ("immune-PDXs").
RESULTS
In patients, we found that estrogen receptor α (ERα) was a predictive factor of response to pembrolizumab, stronger than gender and PD-L1 levels, and was directly correlated with PD-L1 expression, particularly in female patients. ERα transcriptionally upregulated CD274/PD-L1 gene, more in females than in males. This axis was activated by 17-β-estradiol, autocrinely produced by intratumor aromatase, and by the EGFR-downstream effectors Akt and ERK1/2 that activated ERα. The efficacy of pembrolizumab in immune-PDXs was significantly improved by the aromatase inhibitor letrozole, which reduced PD-L1 and increased the percentage of antitumor CD8+T-lymphocytes, NK cells, and Vγ9Vδ2 T-lymphocytes, producing durable control and even tumor regression after continuous administration, with maximal benefit in 17-β-estradiol/ERα highfemale immune-xenografts.
CONCLUSIONS
Our work unveils that 17-β-estradiol/ERα status predicts the response to pembrolizumab in patients with NSCLC. Second, we propose aromatase inhibitors as new gender-tailored immune-adjuvants in NSCLC. See related commentary by Valencia et al., p. 3832.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Animals; Mice; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Lung Neoplasms; Receptors, Estrogen; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Estrogen Receptor alpha; B7-H1 Antigen; Estradiol; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological; Estrogens
PubMed: 37285115
DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-3949 -
Trends in Cell Biology Apr 2016'Secrete-and-sense cells' can communicate by secreting a signaling molecule while also producing a receptor that detects the molecule. The cell can potentially 'talk' to... (Review)
Review
'Secrete-and-sense cells' can communicate by secreting a signaling molecule while also producing a receptor that detects the molecule. The cell can potentially 'talk' to itself ('self-communication') or talk to neighboring cells with the same receptor ('neighbor communication'). The predominant forms of secrete-and-sense cells are self-communicating 'autocrine cells', which are largely found in animals, and neighbor-communicating 'quorum sensing cells', which are mostly associated with bacteria. While assumed to function independently of one another, recent studies have discovered quorum-sensing organs and autocrine-signaling microbes. Moreover, similar types of genetic circuit control many autocrine and quorum-sensing cells. Here, we outline these recent findings and explain how autocrine and quorum sensing are two sides of a many-sided 'dice' created by the versatile secrete-and-sense cell.
Topics: Acyl-Butyrolactones; Animals; Ants; Autocrine Communication; Bacteria; Cell Proliferation; Feedback, Physiological; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Quorum Sensing; Receptors, Cell Surface; Signal Transduction; T-Lymphocytes
PubMed: 26671200
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2015.11.002