MOLECULAR-GENETIC ASPECTS OF ESTROGEN PRODUCTION - AROMATASE GENE

Estrogen production from androgens is catalyzed by cytochrome P-450aro m or aromatase (estrogen synthetase), a member of microsomal superfami ly of cytochromes P-450. The review deals with the up-to-date ideas on the molecular-genetic provision for estrogen production. Aromatase is encoded by CYP19, the gene of cytochrome P-450 family localized in hu man chromosome 15. The aromatase gene contains 10 exons, and the trans lation start site is located in exon II. The 5' region of aromatase ge ne contains several sequences each of which can be read out as the non coding exon I. Such alternative splicing is tissue-specific and seems to play an important role in the gonadal and extragonadal synthesis of estrogens, including that in some malignant tissues.