Cited by 112Estrogen and related hormone effectsProstate Cancer Treatment and ResearchHormonal and reproductive studies

Visualising androgen receptor activity in male and female mice

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Dart, D. Alwyn, Waxman, Jonathan, Aboagye, Eric O., Bevan, Charlotte L.·2013·PLoS ONE

Abstract

Androgens, required for normal development and fertility of males and females, have vital roles in the reproductive tract, brain, cardiovascular system, smooth muscle and bone. Androgens function via the androgen receptor (AR), a ligand-dependent transcription factor. To assay and localise AR activity in vivo we generated the transgenic "ARE-Luc" mouse, expressing a luciferase reporter gene under the control of activated endogenous AR. In vivo imaging of androgen-mediated luciferase activity revealed several strongly expressing tissues in the male mouse as expected and also in certain female tissues. In males the testes, prostate, seminal vesicles and bone marrow all showed high AR activity. In females, strong activity was seen in the ovaries, uterus, omentum tissue and mammary glands. In both sexes AR expression and activity was also found in salivary glands, the eye (and associated glands), adipose tissue, spleen and, notably, regions of the brain. Luciferase protein expression was found in the same cell layers as androgen receptor expression. Additionally, mouse AR expression and activity correlated well with AR expression in human tissues. The anti-androgen bicalutamide reduced luciferase signal in all tissues. Our model demonstrates that androgens can act in these tissues directly via AR, rather than exclusively via androgen aromatisation to estrogens and activation of the estrogen receptor. Additionally, it visually demonstrates the fundamental importance of AR signalling outside the normal role in the reproductive organs. This model represents an important tool for physiological and developmental analysis of androgen signalling, and for characterization of known and novel androgenic or antiandrogenic compounds.

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  • In adults, AR is expressed across the cerebral cortex, including associative cortex, in both sexes in rodents and humans.

    “In adults AR is expressed across the cerebral cortex, including associative cortex, in both sexes in rodents (Clancy et al., 1992; Dart et al., 2013; DonCarlos et al., 2006; Feng et al., 2010; Kritzer, 2004; Simerly et al., 1990; Young and Chang, 1998), and humans (Bezdickova et al., 2007; Puy et al., 1995; Sarrieau et al., 1990).”

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Authors
Dart, D. A., Waxman, J., Aboagye, E. O., & Bevan, C. L.
Affiliations
Imperial College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Bevan, Charlotte L.
Venue
PLoS ONE
Published
2013-08-07
Volume
8
Issue
8
Pages
e71694
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2045176719
Cited by
112
References
66
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 1
FWCI
6.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Genesis Research Trust
  • Imperial College London
  • Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Estrogen and related hormone effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Hormonal and reproductive studies
Keywords
androgen receptor, androgen signaling, transgenic mouse model, luciferase reporter, in vivo imaging, bicalutamide, androgen receptor antagonists, estrogen receptor, sex differences
MeSH terms
Androgen Antagonists, Anilides, Animals, Chlorocebus aethiops, Female, Humans, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Molecular Sequence Data, Nitriles, Organ Specificity, Receptors, Androgen, Tosyl Compounds, Transcriptional Activation, Genes, Reporter, COS Cells, Luciferases, Firefly, Mice, Mice, 129 Strain, MCF-7 Cells

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