title: Ontogeny of the gonadal receptor for luteinizing hormone in the pig.
abstract: Homogenates of porcine ovaries and testes collected between 70 d post coitum and 42 d post partum were incubated with radiolabelled human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to determine the presence and relative amounts of luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin (LH/hCG) receptors. Specific binding of (125)I-hCG to ovaries and testes occurred at all stages of fetal and postnatal development. Ovarian tissue possessed relatively low affinity, high capacity LH/hCG binding sites that were most numerous at Day 80 of gestation and decreased thereafter. In contrast, high affinity, low capacity LH/hCG binding sites were found in the testes. In males, the total number of LH/hCG binding sites remained stable until near term and then increased with age, but the number of sites per gram of testicular tissue did not change (P>0.05). In summary, differential binding of LH/hCG in gonadal tissue occurred in male and female piglets during pre- and post-natal periods, and this binding reflected the known differential pattern of development of the male and female gonad.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 27695-7621 USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ziecik
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Esbenshade
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Britt