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Seladin-1 as a target of estrogen receptor activation in the brain: A new gene for a rather old story?

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Abstract

Experimental evidence indicates that estrogen exerts neuroprotective effects. According to the fact that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is more common in post-menopausal women, estrogen treatment has been proposed. However, the beneficial effect of estrogen or selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) in preventing or treating AD is a controversial issue, which will be summarized in this review. Recently, a novel gene, named selective AD indicator-1 (seladin-1), has been isolated and found to be down-regulated in brain regions affected by AD. Seladin-1, which is considered the human homolog of the plant protein DIMINUTO/DWARF1, confers protection against β-amyloid-mediated toxicity and from oxidative stress and is an effective inhibitor of caspase 3 activity, a key mediator of apoptosis. This review will present the up-to-date findings regarding seladin-1 and DIMINUTO/DWARF1. In addition, the possibility that seladin-1 may be a downstream effector of estrogen receptor activation in the brain, based on our recent experimental findings using a human fetal neuronal model, will be addressed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Physiopathology, Endocrine Unit, Center for Research, Transfer and High Education on Chronic, Inflammatory, Degenerative and Neoplastic Disorders for the Development of Novel Therapies, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    A. Peri MD, PhD, G. Danza & M. Serio

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  1. A. Peri MD, PhD
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  2. G. Danza
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  3. M. Serio
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Correspondence to A. Peri MD, PhD.

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Peri, A., Danza, G. & Serio, M. Seladin-1 as a target of estrogen receptor activation in the brain: A new gene for a rather old story?. J Endocrinol Invest 28, 285–293 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03345387

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