protein_function: Functions as an androgen transport protein, but may alsobe involved in receptor mediated processes. Each dimer binds onemolecule of steroid. Specific for 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone,testosterone, and 17-beta-estradiol. Regulates the plasmametabolic clearance rate of steroid hormones by controlling theirplasma concentration.
Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) or sex steroid-binding globulin (SSBG) is a glycoprotein that binds to the two sex hormones: androgen and estrogen. The gene for SHBG is located on chromosome 17 on the short arm between the bands 17p12???p13. And this gene encodes a steroid binding protein that was first described as a plasma protein secreted by the liver but is now thought to participate in the regulation of steroid responses. The encoded protein transports androgens and estrogens in the blood, binding each steroid molecule as a dimer formed from identical or nearly identical monomers. Polymorphisms in this gene have been associated with polycystic ovary syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants.