Disease relevance of FSHB

• Two different cDNAs containing sequences coding for the beta-subunit of bovine follicle stimulating hormone (FSH-beta) have been isolated from a phage lambda gt11 bovine pituitary cDNA library [1].
• Identification of an attenuating region in the bovine follicle-stimulating hormone beta subunit mRNA that decreases its expression in E. coli [2].
• The bovine FSH beta-subunit promoter (2.3 kb) was coupled to the coding sequence of the Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene and introduced into mouse embryos [3].
• Interestingly, only one of the GH-producing adenomas also expressed Ad4BP/SF-1 as well as FSH-beta [4].
• MATERIAL: Total RNA was extracted from 23 pituitary adenomas obtained by transsphenoidal surgery, and subjected to Northern blot analyses using cDNAs of bovine Ad4BP/SF-1, porcine FSH-beta, LH-beta and glycoprotein hormone-alpha (GPH-alpha) subunts as radiolabelled probes [4].

High impact information on FSHB

• We have targeted FSH expression to the mammary gland of transgenic mice by using cDNAs encoding the bovine alpha and FSH beta subunits and a modified rat beta-casein gene-based expression system [5].
• We have cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding the FSH beta chain from a bovine anterior pituitary cDNA library [6].
• Direct transcriptional inhibition of the gene that encodes ovine FSH beta-subunit (oFSH beta) by 17 beta-estradiol (E2) has been previously demonstrated by our laboratory [7].
• In summary, we have documented rapid and sequential increases in FSH beta-PT and mature FSH beta mRNAs after activin stimulation, which are prevented by transcriptional blockade [8].
• Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms through which activin enhances FSH beta gene expression are not clear [8].

Biological context of FSHB

• Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the bovine locus FSHB [9].
• Nucleotide sequence of the bovine gene for follicle-stimulating hormone beta-subunit [10].
• The bovine FSH-beta gene contains approximately 4000 nucleotides and consists of three exons separated by two intervening sequences [10].
• The localization of the FSHB gene to a cytogenetically homologous region in cattle and sheep is consistent with the hypothesis of extensively conserved chromosome structure in these two species [11].
• The locus for the beta-subunit of the follicle stimulating hormone gene (FSHB) has been determined in both cattle and sheep by in situ hybridization of a bovine and an ovine cDNA probe, respectively, to metaphase chromosomes [11].

Anatomical context of FSHB

• Treatment of ovariectomized heifers with bovine follicular fluid specifically suppresses pituitary levels of FSH-beta mRNA [12].
• The predicted hairpin structure, though away from the transcriptional and translational start site, was able to downregulate the expression of FSHbeta probably by impeding the movement of ribosomes [2].
• At the end of the treatment period, heifers were slaughtered and pituitary glands recovered for determination of gonadotrophin contents and levels of mRNA encoding FSH-beta, LH-beta, TSH-beta and common alpha glycoprotein hormone subunits using [32P]cDNA probes in total RNA dot and Northern blot assays [12].
• The FSH beta-subunit promoter directs the expression of Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase to the testis of transgenic mice [3].

Associations of FSHB with chemical compounds

• Comparison of nucleotide sequence of the 5'-flanking sequence of the FSH-beta gene to the 5'-flanking regions of other pituitary glycoprotein hormone genes reveals little sequence similarity [10].
• Cotreatment with the transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin-D (2 microM) blocked activin stimulation of both FSH beta-PT and FSH beta mRNA, confirming the transcriptional basis for these events [8].
• Similar morphological signs of depressed secretory activity were also observed in the cells shown to contain FSHbeta and/or LHbeta as a result of treatment with the highest dose of progesterone and at the 9th week of pregnancy [13].

Other interactions of FSHB

• Our results indicate that recognition of FSH-beta by N-terminus region (9-30) of the FSH receptor involves contact with residues in three discontinuous binding regions on FSH-beta.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)[14]
• Abundance of mRNA for GnRH-R, common alpha-subunit, and FSHbeta were not affected by treatments [15].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of FSHB

• The immunological identity of the alpha, LH beta, and FSH beta precursors was confirmed by successful competition of these immunoprecipitation reactions by unlabeled homologous LH alpha, LH beta, and FSH, respectively [16].
• Densitometry of the northern blots revealed no significant FecB-specific differences in the relative amounts of mRNA encoding alpha gonadotrophin, FSH beta or LH beta in the pituitaries from any of the experimental groups of ++ and BB sheep [17].
• Pituitary expression of LHbeta- and FSHbeta-subunit mRNA, cellular distribution of LHbeta-subunit mRNA and LH and FSH synthesis during and after treatment with a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist in heifers [18].

References