Granulosa cells as hormone targets : the role of biologically active follicle-stimulating hormone in reproduction

Publisher Summary This chapter describes that with recent advances in cellular and molecular biology, significant progress has been made to elucidate the effect of diverse hormones at the ovarian granulosa cells. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is the primary regulator of granulosa cell differentiation. The mechanisms by which FSH induces the expression of multiple genes associated with feedback actions, ovulation, steroidogenesis, and other differentiated functions are studied. The chapter highlights the reception, action, and local synthesis of various growth factors and further explains the paracrine and autocrine roles of these growth factors in the modulation of FSH actions at the granulosa cells. The granulosa cell aromatase bioassay (GAB) allows measurement of serum levels of bioactive FSH in diverse species. The characterization of bioactive FSH molecules secreted by eukaryotic cell lines transfected with human FSH genes provides clinically useful reagents for stimulating follicle maturation and spermatogenesis.