Regulation of Gonadotropin Gene Expression by Inhibin Activin and GnRH

垂体促性腺激素黄体生成素(LH)和卵泡刺激素(FSH)在哺乳动物发育和正常生殖功能中起着重要作用。这两种促性腺激素由两个亚基组成，一个是共同的α-亚基，另一个是具有特异性的β-亚基。阿塔迪博士已经证明，促性腺激素释放激素，一种存在于大脑下丘脑的激素，以及性腺激素，抑制素，激活素和卵泡抑素，会对FSH的合成产生快速而深远的影响，但不会对促黄体生成素产生影响。这些变化是通过信使RNA的变化来调节的，信使RNA编码FSH蛋白的β亚基。Attardi博士将研究这些影响是由于FSHβ-亚基信使RNA合成速率的变化还是由于FSHβ-亚基分子稳定性的变化。这些研究的结果将有助于阐明下丘脑和性腺激素如何调节促性腺激素的合成和分泌。这将增加我们对垂体细胞之间以及与下丘脑神经元和卵巢和睾丸细胞之间的交流的了解。此外，这些结果可能导致开发更安全、更有效的生育控制方法，并提高诊断和治疗不孕不育问题的能力。

The pitutary gonadotropin hormones, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), play an essential role in mammalian development and normal reproductive function. These two gonadotropin hormones are composed of two subunits, a common alpha-subunit and a beta-subunit which is unique and confers specificity. Dr. Attardi has demonstrated that gonadotropin releasing hormone, a hormone found in the hypothalamus of the brain, and the gonadal hormones, inhibin, activin and follistatin, cause rapid and profound effects on the synthesis of FSH but not LH. These changes are mediated through alternation in the messenger RNA which codes for the beta-subunit of the FSH protein. Dr. Attardi will examine whether these effects result from changes in synthesis rate of messanger RNA for FSH beta-subunit or from changes in stability of the FSH beta-subunit molecules. The results from these studies will help elucidate how hypothalamic and gonadal hormones regulate gonadotropin synthesis and secretion. This will increase our understanding of how pituitary cells communicate among themselves as well as with hypothalamic neurons and cells in the ovaries and testes. Moreover, the results could lead to the development of safer and more effective methods of fertility control and increased ability to diagnose and treat problems of infertility.