Gonadotropin-releasing hormone and gonadal steroids regulate transcription factor mRNA expression in primary pituitary and immortalized gonadotrope cells.

Hormonal regulation of pituitary gonadotropin gene expression has been attributed to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-mediated stimulation of immediate early gene expression and gonadal steroid interactions with their respective nuclear receptors. A number of orphan nuclear receptors including steroidogenic factor 1, liver receptor homologue 1, dosage-sensitive sex reversal, adrenal hypoplasia critical region, on chromosome X, gene 1, and chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factors I/II as well as the GATA family members, GATA2 and GATA4, have also been implicated in transcriptional regulation of the gonadotropin genes. We hypothesized that hormonally mediated changes in these latter transcription factors may provide an additional mechanism for mediating hormonal effects beyond the more classically appreciated pathways. In these studies, we demonstrate significant regulation of orphan nuclear receptor and GATA messenger RNA levels by GnRH, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, and progesterone in both cultured primary pituitary cells and gonadotrope-derived cell line, LβT2. These results advance our understanding of the complex mechanisms by which GnRH and steroid hormones achieve precise regulation of anterior pituitary function.