Animal Reproductive Biology Group

Wade V. Welshons

Associate Professor
Veterinary Biomedical Sciences

Phone: 573-882-3447
E-mail: WelshonsW@missouri.edu
Address: E102 Veterinary Medical Building

Education

B.A., Yale University
Ph.D., Harvard University
Postdoc, University of Wisconsin

Research Focus

Estrogen receptors
Breast and prostate cancer

Research Description

Welshons is investigating the role of estrogen receptors and estrogen response mechanisms in normal reproduction, growth and development and in the development of breast and prostate cancers. He is also investigating how normal biological processes and cancer are influenced by both natural estrogens and environmental estrogens.

Welshons has studied the regulation and turnover of estrogen receptor proteins and mRNA, and the mechanisms of estrogen-stimulated proliferation by using estrogen-responsive human breast cancer-derived cell lines as a model in vitro. This information has then been applied in vivo to study estrogen action during fetal development, to understand the mechanisms of environmental estrogen action and to study the very low levels of exposure to environmental estrogens, which can act as endocrine disrupters of reproductive tract development.

This research into estrogen action mechanisms has provided new information on the effects of natural estrogens on breast cancer and on the normal development of the reproductive tract, and on how the impact of current exposures to estrogenic endocrine disrupters can be analyzed and predicted, to protect animal and human development from current environmental exposures.

Recent Publications

Reizner N, Maor S, Sarfstein R, Abramovitch S, Welshons WV, Curran EM, Lee AV, Werner H.
The WT1 Wilms' tumor suppressor gene product interacts with estrogen receptor-alpha and regulates IGF-I receptor gene transcription in breast cancer cells. J Mol Endocrinol. 2005 Aug;35(1):135-44. PMID: 16087727
vom Saal FS, Nagel SC, Timms BG, Welshons WV.
Implications for human health of the extensive bisphenol A literature showing adverse effects at low doses: a response to attempts to mislead the public. Toxicology. 2005 Sep 1;212(2-3):244-52, author reply 253-4. No abstract available. PMID: 15975703
vom Saal FS, Richter CA, Mao J, Welshons WV.
Commercial animal feed: variability in estrogenic activity and effects on body weight in mice. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2005 Jul;73(7):474-5. No abstract available. PMID: 15959886
Dhulipala VC, Maddali KK, Welshons WV, Reddy CS.
Secalonic acid D blocks embryonic palatal mesenchymal cell-cycle by altering the activity of CDK2 and the expression of p21 and cyclin E. Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol. 2005 Jun;74(3):233-42. PMID: 15880679
vom Saal FS, Richter CA, Ruhlen RR, Nagel SC, Timms BG, Welshons WV.
The importance of appropriate controls, animal feed, and animal models in interpreting results from low-dose studies of bisphenol A. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2005 Mar;73(3):140-5. PMID: 15751043
Perry GA, Welshons WV, Bott RC, Smith MF.
Basis of melengestrol acetate action as a progestin. Domest Anim Endocrinol. 2005 Feb;28(2):147-61. PMID: 15713363
Cui Y, Zhang M, Pestell R, Curran EM, Welshons WV, Fuqua SA.
Phosphorylation of estrogen receptor alpha blocks its acetylation and regulates estrogen sensitivity. Cancer Res. 2004 Dec 15;64(24):9199-208. PMID: 15604293
Dhulipala VC, Welshons WV, Reddy CS.
Inhibition of human embryonic palatal mesenchymal cell cycle by secalonic acid D: a probable mechanism of its cleft palate induction. Orthod Craniofac Res. 2004 Nov;7(4):227-36. PMID: 15562586
Leu YW, Yan PS, Fan M, Jin VX, Liu JC, Curran EM, Welshons WV, Wei SH, Davuluri RV, Plass C, Nephew KP, Huang TH.
Loss of estrogen receptor signaling triggers epigenetic silencing of downstream targets in breast cancer. Cancer Res. 2004 Nov 15;64(22):8184-92. PMID: 15548683
Philips BJ, Ansell PJ, Newton LG, Harada N, Honda S, Ganjam VK, Rottinghaus GE, Welshons WV, Lubahn DB.
Estrogen receptor-independent catechol estrogen binding activity: protein binding studies in wild-type, Estrogen receptor-alpha KO, and aromatase KO mice tissues. Biochemistry. 2004 Jun 1;43(21):6698-708. PMID: 15157104
A complete list of publications for WV Welshons in PubMed