Association of luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) mRNA with its binding protein leads to decapping and degradation of the mRNA in the p bodies.

Luteinizing hormone receptor undergoes downregulation during preovulatory Luteinizing hormone surge through a post-transcriptional mechanism involving an RNA binding protein designated as LRBP. The present study examined the mechanism by which LRBP induces the degradation of Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA, specifically the role of decapping of Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA and the translocation of LRBP-bound Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA to degradative machinery. Immunoprecipitation of the complex with the 5'cap structure antibody followed by real time PCR analysis showed progressive loss of capped Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA during downregulation suggesting that Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA undergoes decapping prior to degradation. RNA immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed dissociation of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E from the cap structure, a step required for decapping. Furthermore, RNA immunoprecipitation analysis using antibody against the p body marker protein, DCP1A showed that Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA was associated with the p bodies, the cytoplasmic foci that contain RNA degradative enzymes and decapping complex. Immunohistochemical studies using antibodies against LRBP and DCP1A followed by confocal analysis showed colocalization of LRBP with DCP1A during downregulation. This was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation of LRBP with DCP1A. The association of LRBP and Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA in the p bodies during downregulation was further confirmed by examining the association of a second p body component, rck/p54, using immunoprecipitation and RNA immunoprecipitation respectively. These data suggest that the association of LRBP with Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA results in the translocation of the messenger ribonucleoprotein complex to the p bodies leading to decapping and degradation.