Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.6.1 (sulfatase)
 3,205 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Neurosteroids are steroids that are synthesized de novo in the brain from cholesterol and, in general, mediate their effects through ion-gated channel receptors such as gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABA[A]) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors rather than through classical nuclear steroid hormone receptors. Steroid hormones are known to exist not only as free compounds, but also as sulfated derivatives. Pharmacological studies indicate that unconjugated and sulfated steroids, such as pregnenolone and pregnenolone sulfate, may have opposite effects on GABA(A) receptors. Thus, pregnenolone acts as a potent positive allosteric modulator of gamma-aminobutyric acid action at GABA(A )receptors, whereas pregnenolone sulfate acts as a potent negative modulator. Recent experiments also suggest that dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate may have distinct effects on growth of neurites from embryonic neocortical neurons in vitro. Thus, regulation of steroid sulfation may have profound behavioral and morphological effects on the nervous system. We, therefore, studied the developmental expression of the enzyme steroid sulfatase (STS), which converts sulfated steroids to free steroids. By in situ hybridization, STS messenger RNA was expressed in the embryonic mouse cortex, hindbrain, and thalamus during the last third of gestation. The sites of expression of STS were similar to those of P450c17, suggesting that these two enzymes may have concerted actions in similar functional processes.
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PMID:Expression of steroid sulfatase during embryogenesis. 934 4

Alterations in neurosteroid levels may play a role in affective disorders including those related to changes in the levels of ovarian steroids. The effects of pregnancy and delivery on circulatory and brain levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), pregnenolone (PN), their sulfate esters and the enzymatic activities of sulfatase and sulfotransferase were examined in rats. Our findings indicate an increase, not reflected in the brain cortex, in serum DHEA levels, at the end of pregnancy with a partial decrease following delivery. DHEA sulfate levels in the cortex and PN levels in both serum and cortex decreased following delivery with no changes in its sulfated form. Sulfatase levels were high both before and after delivery with no changes noted in sulfotransferase levels, compared to controls. We speculate that changes in the level or ratio of sulfated and free neurosteroids may play a role in postpartum behavioral disorders due to their antagonistic GABA(A) modulatory effect.
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PMID:The influence of parturition on the level and synthesis of sulfated and free neurosteroids in rats. 1473 Jan 96