In the article “Estrogen Receptor β Functions through Nongenomic Mechanisms in Lung Cancer Cells” (Mol Endocrinol 23:146–156, 2009) by Zhang et al., the authors wish to state the following:
The P-MAPK Western blot panel in Fig. 2B was generated by splicing of two separate gels, and this was not indicated in the manuscript. However, the effects of ERβ knockdown on E2-dependent MAPK activation were quantitatively analyzed in two separate experiments (including the one shown in Fig. 2B) using a valid control for normalization within each individual experiment (i.e. total MAPK). These independent experiments revealed a significant reduction of E2-dependent MAPK activation upon ERβ knockdown, and the fold reduction was consistent between the two experiments. This is a more accurate reflection of the effects of ERβ ablation on MAPK activation than the statement that appears in the manuscript, i.e. “the rapid activation of kinase pathways by estrogen, but not by EGF-1, was abolished in ERβ knock-down cells.” The authors regret the error.