Estrogen receptors are present in human granulosa cells.

Recent studies failed to detect estrogen receptors in primate follicles. This study was initiated to determine whether estrogen receptor (ER) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is present in human granulosa cells and, further, if functional ER proteins are present. To evaluate the presence of ER, RNA from human granulosa cells obtained at the time of oocyte retrieval for assisted reproduction was extracted, and complementary DNA synthesis was performed by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Oligonucleotide primers were used to amplify basepairs 570-852 in the B- and C- domains of the ER mRNA. Southern blotting was performed and confirmed that the amplified DNA fragment identified in granulosa cells represented ER. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, mRNA for the ER is clearly identified in primary human granulosa cells obtained at the time of oocyte retrieval. To expand these studies and determine whether functional ER were present in human granulosa cells in culture, a sim...