Distinct effects of the antiestrogen Faslodex on the stability of estrogen receptors-alpha and -beta in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7

The effects of estrogen receptor (ER) ligands on the stability and transcriptional activity of ERbeta in the breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and HeLa were examined. We found that ERbeta was degraded in the presence of 17beta-estradiol. Tamoxifen and Faslodex (ICI 182,780) prevented ERbeta receptor destabilization. In contrast to ERalpha, ERbeta degradation was not abolished by inhibitors of the proteasome-mediated protein degradation pathway. Furthermore, single point mutations in helix 12 of the receptor dramatically affected the stability and subsequent transcriptional activation of ERbeta.