Endocrine Abstracts

G protein-coupled receptors are the largest family of mammalian receptors, with key roles in controlling most physiological processes. Ovarian function is no exception, with a key ovarian GPCR, follicle stimulation hormone receptor (FSHR), and its endogenous ligand, FSH, critical for pre-antral-antral follicle growth and survival. An increasingly important way that GPCRs have been shown to regulate ligand specificity and signal amplitude is via association and formation of dim...

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the commonest endocrine disorder in women and polycystic ovaries are characterized by excess ovarian stroma that has implications for disordered follicle development in PCOS. The factors contributing to proliferation and increased density of stroma remain unclear but local overproduction of androgens may be involved.Aim: To examine differential expression of genes that regulate key proteins that comprise ...

The G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) plays a critical role in ovarian function and reproduction, with multiple functions in follicle growth, maturation, survival, and steroid hormone production. Yet how FSH/FSHR mediates these pleiotrophic physiological roles remains unknown. Numerous studies indicate GPCRs can regulate and diversify their actions through receptor-receptor association and the formation of dimers/oligomers. Moreove...

Luteinising hormone (LH) and the luteinising hormone receptor (LHR) have key roles in steroidogenesis and ovulation, thus are central targets for fertility treatment. The LHR is a G protein-coupled receptor that predominantly signals through Gαs, although under conditions of high ligand concentration and/or high receptor density, as occurs during the mid-cycle LH surge, can also signal via Gαq/11. Yet, how LHR delineates signal pathway activation to coordinate pleiot...

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone, crucial for regulating female reproduction. Its actions are mediated through FSHR, a Class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), which primarily couples to Gs/cAMP/PKA pathway to modulate ovarian follicle growth, granulosa cell proliferation, and estrogen production. In addition to dogmatic functions of FSH in reproduction, there is increasing evidence that FSH can act on extragonadal tissues. Specifica...