Hormonal regulation of luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor mRNA in rat ovarian cells during follicular development and luteinization

Abstract

To determine whether hormone-dependent changes in the levels of LH/CG receptor in the rat ovary are associated with changes in expression of LH/CG receptor mRNAs, total RNA from rat follicles and corpora lutea at various stages of development was prepared and analyzed by Northern blots and/or solution hybridization. Whereas small antral follicles contained low amounts of LH/CG receptor mRNAs, the growth of preovulatory (PO) follicles was associated with an increase in all LH/CG receptor mRNA transcripts. Induction of LH/CG receptor mRNAs in granulosa cells of hypophysectomized rats was dependent on the synergistic effects of estradiol and FSH. An LH/CG surge in vivo or LH treatment of PO follicles in vitro caused a rapid decline of all LH/CG receptor mRNAs in PO follicles, which was prevented by cycloheximide. Newly formed corpora lutea (days 1-4 postovulation) contained low amounts of LH/CG receptor mRNAs unless the rats were pregnant or treated exogenously with PRL. During pregnancy, corpora lutea isolated on days 4-19 of gestation contained high levels of LH/CG receptor mRNAs, which decreased markedly on days 21 and 24, the time of functional luteolysis and decreasing LH/CG receptor levels. These studies demonstrate that hormonal regulation of LH/CG receptor mRNA in rat ovarian cells parallels changes in LH/CG receptor levels and involves diverse molecular mechanisms, including 1) induction by the synergistic actions of estradiol and low concentrations of cAMP (elicited by FSH) in developing follicles, 2) inhibition by high concentrations of cAMP (elicited by LH/CG) in PO follicles, and 3) induction and maintenance by PRL in corpora lutea of gestation. Copyright © 1990 by The Endocrine Society.