title: Control of human luteal steroidogenesis.
abstract: The human corpus luteum (CL) undergoes a dynamic cycle of differentiation, steroid hormone production and regression during the course of non-fertile cycles. In humans and other primates, luteal steroidogenesis is absolutely dependent on pituitary-derived LH. However, changes in LH and LH receptor expression do not explain the marked decline in progesterone production at the end of the luteal phase. Changes in the level of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), a gene whose expression is controlled by LH most likely account for the cyclic pattern of progesterone production. During the mid-to-late luteal phase of a fertile cycle, chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) rescues the CL, overcoming the actions of the factors inducing luteolysis. Although the agents causing regression of the CL in a non-fertile cycle are not yet known, intra-luteal growth factors and cytokines that modify the action of LH probably contribute to the reduction of StAR expression and the subsequent fall in progesterone production.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Materno Infantil, IDIMI y Universidad de Chile, PO Box 226-3, Santiago, Chile. ldevoto@machi.med.uchile.cl
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Devoto
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kohen
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Rubén René
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Retamales
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carvallo
authors.forename: Lane K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Christenson
authors.forename: Jerome F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Strauss
mesh_terms: D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme / Q000502:physiology; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000502:physiology; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003340:Corpus Luteum Maintenance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000502:physiology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011323:Primates / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011974:Receptors, LH / Q000502:physiology; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011974:Receptors, LH; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein; D011374:Progesterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D002784:Cholesterol; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme