Analysis of estrogen receptor alpha expression dynamics and its association with HuR under transcriptional stress

Date

2026-6-29

Author

Dinkci, Zeynep Deren

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Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), encoded by the ESR1 gene, is a major regulator of hormone-responsive breast cancer progression and represents one of the primary therapeutic targets in estrogen receptor-positive tumors. The present study aimed to investigate the expression dynamics of ERα in MCF7 breast cancer cells under transcriptional inhibition. For this purpose, transcription was pharmaceutically blocked, and changes in ERα expression were evaluated at both the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, the potential involvement of post- transcriptional regulatory mechanisms was examined through bioinformatic analyses and functional studies focusing on the RNA-binding protein HuR (ELAVL1), which has previously been associated with ESR1 mRNA regulation. The intracellular localization dynamics of HuR under stress conditions and the effects of siRNA-mediated HuR silencing on ERα expression were investigated to better understand the possible contribution of HuR to ESR1 regulation. Through these approaches, this study sought to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms that may regulate ERα expression independently of classical transcriptional control pathways. vi Overall, this thesis focuses on post-transcriptional regulation and highlights the importance of RNA-level regulatory systems to better understand protein level and function.

Subject Keywords

ERα, ESR1, HuR, Post-transcriptional Regulation, Breast Cancer

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/119943

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Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis