| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
ARTICLES |
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and the Center for Research in Reproduction, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Alan C. Dalkin, University of Virginia, Department of Internal Medicine, P.O. Box 801387, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908. E-mail: acd6v{at}virginia.edu
GnRH regulates the synthesis and secretion of the pituitary
gonadotropins LH and FSH. One of the actions of GnRH on the
gonadotropin subunit genes (
, LHß, and FSHß) is the regulation
of transcription [messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis]. Gonadotropin
subunit transcription rates increase after gonadectomy and following
exogenous GnRH pulses. However, prior studies of subunit mRNA synthesis
were limited by the available methodology that did not allow
simultaneous measurement of gene transcription and mature mRNA
concentrations. The purpose of the current studies was to: 1) develop a
reliable and sensitive method for assessing transcription rates by
measuring gonadotropin subunit primary transcript RNAs (PT, RNA before
intron splicing); 2) investigate the PT responses to GnRH following
castration or exogenous GnRH pulses; 3) characterize the
half-disappearance time for the three PT species after GnRH withdrawal;
and 4) correlate changes in PT concentration with steady-state
gonadotropin subunit mRNA levels measured in the same pituitary RNA
samples.
Using oligonucleotide primers that flanked intron-exon boundaries,
quantitative RT-PCR assays for each subunit PT species were developed.
These assays require only ng amounts of RNA to measure each
gonadotropin subunit PT and allow us to measure both PTs and
steady-state mRNAs in a single pituitary RNA sample. Primary transcript
concentrations in intact male rats showed a relative abundance of
> LHß 
FSHß, similar to the relationship found
previously for mRNA levels. Additionally, each PT species was only
1–2% as abundant as the corresponding mRNA. One week after
castration, gonadotropin subunit PT levels were increased (: 3-fold,
LHß: 6-fold, and FSHß: 3-fold) in a pattern similar to subunit
mRNAs. Administration of GnRH antagonist to 7-day castrate male rats
resulted in a rapid decline in PT concentrations with a
half-disappearance time of 2.7 h for LHß and 0.8 h for
FSHß, significantly faster than earlier measurements of the
half-disappearance time for mature mRNA. Finally, in a GnRH-deficient
male rat model, LHß and FSHß PT concentrations increased 4- to
6-fold 5 min after a GnRH pulse and then declined toward levels seen in
control animals.
These data indicate that the effects of GnRH on subunit gene transcription are an important determinant of gonadotropin regulation. The appearance and disappearance of PT RNA occurs more rapidly than changes in mature mRNA. Additionally, concentrations are elevated in long term castrates, and following an exogenous GnRH pulse the transcriptional burst is rapid and brief.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  L. L. Burger, D. J. Haisenleder, K. W. Aylor, and J. C. Marshall Regulation of Intracellular Signaling Cascades by GNRH Pulse Frequency in the Rat Pituitary: Roles for CaMK II, ERK, and JNK Activation Biol Reprod, November 1, 2008; 79(5): 947 - 953. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. J. Haisenleder, L. L. Burger, H. E. Walsh, J. Stevens, K. W. Aylor, M. A. Shupnik, and J. C. Marshall Pulsatile Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Stimulation of Gonadotropin Subunit Transcription in Rat Pituitaries: Evidence for the Involvement of Jun N-Terminal Kinase But Not p38 Endocrinology, January 1, 2008; 149(1): 139 - 145. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. A Ferris, H. E Walsh, J. Stevens, P. C Fallest, and M. A Shupnik Luteinizing Hormone Beta Promoter Stimulation by Adenylyl Cyclase and Cooperation with Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone 1 in Transgenic Mice and LBetaT2 Cells Biol Reprod, December 1, 2007; 77(6): 1073 - 1080. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. L. Burger, D. J. Haisenleder, G. M. Wotton, K. W. Aylor, A. C. Dalkin, and J. C. Marshall The regulation of FSHbeta transcription by gonadal steroids: testosterone and estradiol modulation of the activin intracellular signaling pathway Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, July 1, 2007; 293(1): E277 - E285. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. B. Salisbury, A. K. Binder, J. C. Grammer, and J. H. Nilson Maximal Activity of the Luteinizing Hormone{beta}-Subunit Gene Requires {beta}-Catenin Mol. Endocrinol., April 1, 2007; 21(4): 963 - 971. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. A. Ferris and M. A. Shupnik Mechanisms for Pulsatile Regulation of the Gonadotropin Subunit Genes by GNRH1 Biol Reprod, June 1, 2006; 74(6): 993 - 998. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.J. Haisenleder, L.L. Burger, K.W. Aylor, A.C. Dalkin, H.E. Walsh, M.A. Shupnik, and J.C. Marshall Testosterone Stimulates Follicle-Stimulating Hormone {beta} Transcription via Activation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase: Evidence in Rat Pituitary Cells Biol Reprod, March 1, 2005; 72(3): 523 - 529. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L L Burger, D J Haisenleder, A C Dalkin, and J C Marshall Regulation of gonadotropin subunit gene transcription J. Mol. Endocrinol., December 1, 2004; 33(3): 559 - 584. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Zhou, W. K. W. Ko, W. K. K. Ho, S. S. Stojilkovic, and A. O. L. Wong Novel Aspects of Growth Hormone (GH) Autoregulation: GH-Induced GH Gene Expression in Grass Carp Pituitary Cells through Autocrine/Paracrine Mechanisms Endocrinology, October 1, 2004; 145(10): 4615 - 4628. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Bonfil, D. Chuderland, S. Kraus, D. Shahbazian, I. Friedberg, R. Seger, and Z. Naor Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase, Jun N-Terminal Kinase, p38, and c-Src Are Involved in Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone-Stimulated Activity of the Glycoprotein Hormone Follicle-Stimulating Hormone {beta}-Subunit Promoter Endocrinology, May 1, 2004; 145(5): 2228 - 2244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. A. Prendergast, L. L. Burger, K. W. Aylor, D. J. Haisenleder, A. C. Dalkin, and J. C. Marshall Pituitary Follistatin Gene Expression in Female Rats: Evidence That Inhibin Regulates Transcription Biol Reprod, February 1, 2004; 70(2): 364 - 370. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Zapatero-Caballero, F. Sanchez-Franco, C. Fernandez-Mendez, M. Garcia-San Frutos, L. M. Botella-Cubells, and G. Fernandez-Vazquez Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Gene Expression During Pubertal Development of Female Rats Biol Reprod, February 1, 2004; 70(2): 348 - 355. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Coss, S. B. R. Jacobs, C. E. Bender, and P. L. Mellon A Novel AP-1 Site Is Critical for Maximal Induction of the Follicle-stimulating Hormone {beta} Gene by Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone J. Biol. Chem., January 2, 2004; 279(1): 152 - 162. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. L. Burger, D. J. Haisenleder, K. W. Aylor, A. C. Dalkin, K. A Prendergast, and J. C. Marshall Regulation of Luteinizing Hormone-{beta} and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)-{beta} Gene Transcription by Androgens: Testosterone Directly Stimulates FSH-{beta} Transcription Independent from Its Role on Follistatin Gene Expression Endocrinology, January 1, 2004; 145(1): 71 - 78. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. J. Haisenleder, L. L. Burger, K. W. Aylor, A. C. Dalkin, and J. C. Marshall Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Stimulation of Gonadotropin Subunit Transcription: Evidence for the Involvement of Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Kinase II (Ca/CAMK II) Activation in Rat Pituitaries Endocrinology, July 1, 2003; 144(7): 2768 - 2774. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Zapatero-Caballero, F. Sanchez-Franco, N. Guerra-Perez, C. Fernandez-Mendez, and G. Fernandez-Vazquez Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Gene Expression During Pubertal Development of Male Rats Biol Reprod, May 1, 2003; 68(5): 1764 - 1770. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. L. Burger, A. C. Dalkin, K. W. Aylor, D. J. Haisenleder, and J. C. Marshall GnRH Pulse Frequency Modulation of Gonadotropin Subunit Gene Transcription in Normal Gonadotropes--Assessment by Primary Transcript Assay Provides Evidence for Roles of GnRH and Follistatin Endocrinology, September 1, 2002; 143(9): 3243 - 3249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. A. Adams, E. D. Vickers, C. Warby, M. Park, W. H. Fischer, A. Grey Craig, J. E. Rivier, and N. M. Sherwood Three Forms of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone, Including a Novel Form, in a Basal Salmonid, Coregonus clupeaformis Biol Reprod, July 1, 2002; 67(1): 232 - 239. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F.E.M. Rebers, G.A.M. Hassing, W. van Dijk, E. van Straaten, H.J.Th. Goos, and R.W. Schulz Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Does Not Directly Stimulate Luteinizing Hormone Biosynthesis in Male African Catfish Biol Reprod, June 1, 2002; 66(6): 1604 - 1611. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.J. Haisenleder, L.J. Workman, L.L. Burger, K.W. Aylor, A.C. Dalkin, and J.C. Marshall Gonadotropin Subunit Transcriptional Responses to Calcium Signals in the Rat: Evidence for Regulation by Pulse Frequency Biol Reprod, December 1, 2001; 65(6): 1789 - 1793. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. L. Burger, A. C. Dalkin, K. W. Aylor, L. J. Workman, D. J. Haisenleder, and J. C. Marshall Regulation of Gonadotropin Subunit Transcription after Ovariectomy in the Rat: Measurement of Subunit Primary Transcripts Reveals Differential Roles of GnRH and Inhibin Endocrinology, August 1, 2001; 142(8): 3435 - 3442. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Endocrinology | Endocrine Reviews | J. Clin. End. & Metab. |
| Molecular Endocrinology | Recent Prog. Horm. Res. | All Endocrine Journals |
