Sex-specific cell signaling: the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor model.
Trends Pharmacol Sci
; 34(8): 437-44, 2013 Aug.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23849813
ABSTRACT
Elucidating the biological basis for sex differences in diseases can reveal their pathophysiology and guide the development of individualized treatments. Here, we review evidence for the novel concept that receptor signaling can be sex biased such that the specific pathways engaged by ligand binding are determined by sex. As an example, this review focuses on the receptor for corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a stress-related peptide implicated in diverse psychiatric and medical disorders that are more prevalent in females. There is evidence for sex biases in CRF receptor coupling to G proteins and ß-arrestin that render females more sensitive to acute stress and less able to adapt to chronic stress. Taken with evidence for sex biased signaling in other receptor systems, the studies demonstrate the broad potential impact of this characteristic in determining sex differences in disease and therapeutic efficacy and underscore the importance of studying females in medical and pharmacological research.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
/
Signal Transduction
/
Sex Characteristics
/
Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
/
Models, Chemical
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Trends Pharmacol Sci
Year:
2013
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States
Publication country:
ENGLAND
/
ESCOCIA
/
GB
/
GREAT BRITAIN
/
INGLATERRA
/
REINO UNIDO
/
SCOTLAND
/
UK
/
UNITED KINGDOM