Esr1 - estrogen receptor 1 (alpha)

This gene encodes an estrogen receptor, a member of the nuclear hormone family of intracellular receptors. The encoded protein, activated by the sex hormone estrogen, is a transcription factor composed of several domains important for hormone binding, DNA binding, and activation of transcription. Estrogen and its receptors are essential for sexual development and reproductive function, but also play a role in other tissues such as bone. Similar genes in human have been implicated in pathological processes including breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and osteoporosis. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2014]