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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Front Neuroendocrinol. 2007 Nov 7;29(2):169–181. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2007.10.005

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Androgen actions via intracellular androgen receptor mediated pathways. Testosterone (T) can be converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the 5αR enzyme. 1) In the classical pathway, androgen freely passes through the membrane bi-layer and binds cytoplasmic androgen receptor (AR). Bound AR translocates to the nucleus, binds to a DNA response element on a promoter of an androgen responsive gene and stimulates transcription. 2) Bound AR interacts with the SH3 domain of the tyrosine kinase c-Src to activate the MAPK pathway and influence AR-mediated transcription via phosphorylation of coactivator/receptor complexes. 3) Androgen bound to steroid hormone binding globulin (SHBG) can activate SHBG receptor (SHBGR) and lead to an increase in PKA activity. PKA may influence AR-mediated transcription via alteration of phosphorylation status of AR and AR coregulators. Abbreviations: T = testosterone, DHT = dihydrotestosterone, 5αR = 5 alpha reductase enzyme, AR = androgen receptor, PKA = protein kinase A, GP = g-protein, SH2 = Src homology domain 2, SH3 = Src homology domain 3, PTK = protein tyrosine kinase, MAPK = mitogen-activated protein kinase, SHBGR = steroid hormone binding globulin receptor, cAMP = cyclic adenosine monophosphate.