Mapping Ignorance: Structure matters in the androgen receptor
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The study of nuclear receptors includes a great variety of approaches and techniques: from experiments with transgenic mice assessing their roles in the organism, to three-dimensional methods at the atomic level, in which the position of each amino acid and its function are examined. Dr. Estébanez’s research line focuses in the latter feature.
The group studied the three-dimensional structure of the androgen receptor (AR). Androgens are known as male sex hormones. The AR is essential for both male and female physiology, development and metabolism. Mutations in this receptor are associated with diverse pathologies, mainly in masculine individuals. Thus, patients with prostate cancer or androgen insensitivity syndrome show alterations on the amino acidic sequence of their androgen receptors.
