Quang Kim Tran
Des Moines University, USA
Title: Novel mechanistic insights into the actions of the G-protein coupled estrogen receptor as a moderator of cardiovascular health
Biography
Biography: Quang Kim Tran
Abstract
Plasma estrogen level is closely related to cardiovascular health. Estrogen exerts complex effects that are both dependent and independent on transcriptional activities and are mediated by at least 3 estrogen receptors. The novel G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) has been shown to participate in many cardiovascular functions such as the control of fat metabolism, insulin resistance and glucose tolerance, and vascular tone and cardiac diastolic functions. However, the regulatory inputs of GPER are not well understood. Both Ca2+ entry and Ca2+ efflux are essential in shaping intracellular Ca2+ signals important for cardiovascular functions. Calmodulin, the ubiquitous transducer of Ca2+ signals, is important for the activities of more than 100 intracellular proteins, yet is insufficiently expressed for all its binding sites, rendering a shortage for calmodulin across cardiovascular tissues. Factors that control Ca2+ influx, Ca2+ efflux and Ca2+-dependent calmodulin signals thus plays important roles in the regulation of cardiovascular activities. Data will be presented on the effects and multiple underlying mechanisms of GPER in the control of Ca2+ efflux, Ca2+ entry and the role of GPER in forming a feed-forward loop that regulates calmodulin expression and functional linkage in the network of calmodulin-dependent proteins in cardiovascular system. A mechanistic model for the role of GPER as a moderator of cardiovascular functions will be presented. The data and summative model encourage therapeutic exploitation of GPER activation and expression in the management of cardiovascular morbidity.