This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dalkin, A. C. Articles by Marshall, J. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dalkin, A. C. Articles by Marshall, J. C.

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Regulation of Gonadotropin Subunit Gene Expression in Female Rats: Actions on Follicle-Stimulating Hormone ß Messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) Involve Differential Expression of Pituitary Activin (ß-B) and Follistatin mRNAs¹

Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Alan C. Dalkin, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, 5041 MR4 Building, Lane Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908. E-mail acd6v{at}virginia.edu

GnRH is the primary stimulus in the regulation of gonadotropin subunit mRNA expression. Additionally, local (pituitary) production of activin and follistatin appear to modulate the expression of FSH ß mRNA. The current studies aimed to determine whether GnRH regulation of pituitary activin (ß-B) and follistatin mRNAs could play a role in the differential actions of GnRH pulse pattern on gonadotropin mRNA expression in female rats. In response to altered GnRH pulse amplitude, the expression of FSH ß and follistatin mRNAs followed an inverse pattern. Only high dose GnRH increased expression of follistatin whereas, in contrast, ß-B and FSH ß expression were increased following lower doses of GnRH. To determine whether increased follistatin mRNA expression was correlated with FSH ß mRNA responses, we examined their temporal relationship following high dose GnRH. Both FSH ß and follistatin mRNAs were increased within 2 h and remained increased through 6 h. However, by 12 h FSH ß mRNA levels returned to values seen in controls, suggesting that increased follistatin requires 6–12 h to reduce FSH ß mRNA. In response to altered GnRH pulse frequency, FSH ß expression was increased at all pulse intervals (8–240 min) examined. Rapid GnRH pulse frequencies (8-min intervals) increased follistatin expression, whereas ß-B mRNA was only increased after 30-min pulse intervals, which also resulted in maximal FSH ß mRNA concentrations. These results suggest that changes in pituitary activin (ß-B) and follistatin mRNA expression may be important components of gonadotrope responses to pulsatile GnRH, and potentially imply that GnRH stimulation of activin and follistatin peptide production provides regulatory control over the production of FSH.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. Zheng, M. Jimenez-Linan, B. S. Rubin, and L. M. Halvorson Anterior Pituitary Gene Expression with Reproductive Aging in the Female Rat Biol Reprod, June 1, 2007; 76(6): 1091 - 1102. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. M Bilezikjian, A. L Blount, C. J Donaldson, and W. W Vale Pituitary actions of ligands of the TGF-{beta} family: activins and inhibins. Reproduction, August 1, 2006; 132(2): 207 - 215. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Kanasaki, G. Y. Bedecarrats, K.-Y. Kam, S. Xu, and U. B. Kaiser Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Pulse Frequency-Dependent Activation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Pathways in Perifused L{beta}T2 Cells Endocrinology, December 1, 2005; 146(12): 5503 - 5513. [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]

				S. J Winters and J. P Moore Intra-pituitary regulation of gonadotrophs in male rodents and primates Reproduction, July 1, 2004; 128(1): 13 - 23. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M. Foster, P. R. Olton, M. S. Racine, D. J. Phillips, and V. Padmanabhan Sex differences in FSH-regulatory peptides in pubertal age boys and girls and effects of sex steroid treatment Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2004; 19(7): 1668 - 1676. [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]

				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]

				G. Y. Bedecarrats and U. B. Kaiser Differential Regulation of Gonadotropin Subunit Gene Promoter Activity by Pulsatile Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) in Perifused L{beta}T2 Cells: Role of GnRH Receptor Concentration Endocrinology, May 1, 2003; 144(5): 1802 - 1811. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Padmanabhan, M. B. Brown, G. E. Dahl, N. P. Evans, F. J. Karsch, D. T. Mauger, J. D. Neill, and J. Van Cleeff Neuroendocrine Control of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Secretion: III. Is There a Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone-Independent Component of Episodic FSH Secretion in Ovariectomized and Luteal Phase Ewes? Endocrinology, April 1, 2003; 144(4): 1380 - 1392. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Welt, Y. Sidis, H. Keutmann, and A. Schneyer Activins, Inhibins, and Follistatins: From Endocrinology to Signaling. A Paradigm for the New Millennium Experimental Biology and Medicine, October 1, 2002; 227(9): 724 - 752. [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]

				S. Kawakami, Y. Fujii, Y. Okada, and S. J. Winters Paracrine Regulation of FSH by Follistatin in Folliculostellate Cell-Enriched Primate Pituitary Cell Cultures Endocrinology, June 1, 2002; 143(6): 2250 - 2258. [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]