This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 677, an undergraduate course at UW-Madison.
Homolog for the androgen receptor in C. elegans
Using wormbase, I identified a homolog to the androgen receptor in C. elegans. nhr-69 is a member of the nuclear receptor family. It appears to respond to hormones as either activating or repressing transcription.
The above picture shows the expression pattern for nhr-69 within C. elegans. It appears to be mostly expressed in the gut throughout the life cycle of the organism.
For a result of different RNAi experiments please follow this link. See phenotypes. The most interesting phenotypes reported are the sterility of both the maternal sterility, embryonic lethality, sterile progeny, and other developmental abnormalities. They seem to suggest that the gene, nhr-69, regulates sexual development in C. Elegans.
Chemical interactions with the androgen receptor (AR)
Using drugbank, I found ten drugs that interact with the androgen receptor. Flutamide, oxandrolone, testosterone, nilutamide, dromostanolone, nandrolone, bicalutamide, fluoxymesterone, finasteride, and cyproterone.
Flutamide, nilutamide, bicalutamide, and finasteride are used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Androgens stimulate cell growth and differentiation in the prostate. Targeting this recetpor is thus important in stopping the spread of prostate cancer.
Oxandrolone, testosterone, nandrolone, and fluoxymesterone have similar effects, including infertility, lack of libido or erectile dysfunction, osteoporosis, penile enlargement, height growth, bone marrow stimulation and reversal of anemia, and appetite stimulation. However, nandrolone does not have the same side-effects as testosterone such as muscle growth. Fluoxymesterone also treats delayed puberty and breast neoplasms in women.
Dromostanolone and cyproterone have slightly different effects from the others. The first treats recurring breast cancers in postmenopausal women. The second treats hypersexuality, prostate cancer, and when coupled with estrogen both severe acne and excessive hair growth in women.
Website authored by Sam Trammell. Email: [email protected]. Last updated: March 28, 2009.
