Expression of the second isoform of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH-II) in human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle.
We examined the expression of the protein and mRNA of the newly cloned isoform of human gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH-II) in the normal human endometrium during the menstrual cycle. Nested RT-PCR and sequence analysis revealed that two spliced variants of GnRH-II mRNA were expressed during the entire menstrual cycle, with the shorter transcript having a 21 nucleotide deletion in the region coding for GnRH-associated peptide. Using immunohistochemistry, we identified immunoreactive GnRH-II in both stromal and glandular epithelial cells during the entire menstrual phase. The immunostaining intensity was stronger during the early and mid-secretory phase compared with the proliferative and late-secretory phase. A large amount of immunoreactive GnRH-II was localized in the apical pole of the glandular lumen. Our results show that the second isoform of GnRH (GnRH-II) is expressed in the human endometrium during the entire menstrual phase. We also suggest that an increased expression of endometrial GnRH-II peptide, noted during the early and mid-secretory phase, may play an important role in human embryo implantation.
Cheon
K W
KW
Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Samsung Cheil Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
H S
HS
Parhar
I S
IS
Kang
I S
IS
D000328:Adult; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; C047717:LHRH, His(5)-Trp(7)-Tyr(8)-