DIFFERENTIAL INITIATION OF TRANSLATION OF A SINGLE ESTROGEN-RECEPTOR MESSENGER-RNA COULD EXPLAIN SOME ESTRADIOL RESISTANCE CASES

Cell response to steroid stimulation is generally acknowledged to be m ediated by an intracellular protein known as a receptor. Response inte nsity is related to the affinity of the receptor and to the number of sites occupied by its specific ligand. Although verified in the majori ty of experimental and clinical studies, certain phenomena of steroid hormone resistance would seem to challenge this assertion. Application of gene molecular biology to determine the action mechanisms of stero id hormones has partially explained cell resistance in terms of geneti c modifications. The work presented here shows that in certain cases, estrogen resistance could be explained by regulation of translation of the single messenger RNA coding for the receptor.