Lawson M A, Mellon P L
Department of Reproductive Medicine, The Center for Molecular Medicine University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0674, USA.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1998 May 25;140(1-2):157-61. doi: 10.1016/s0303-7207(98)00044-6.
The hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are important regulators of reproductive function. During development, these cells arise in the olfactory placode and migrate to the central nervous system, where they form a diffuse population of neurosecretory cells that mediate central nervous system control of reproduction. Little is known of the mechanisms regulating the differentiation of these cells. Studies of the transcriptional regulation of the GnRH gene have demonstrated the importance of the GATA family of zinc-finger transcription factors in gene expression. Although GATA factors are not highly expressed in mature GnRH-secreting neurons, we report that GATA-4 is highly expressed in migrating GnRH neurons in the developing mouse. We also report that a second DNA binding activity regulating GnRH gene expression at the site of GATA-factor action persists in mature hypothalamus and may also play a role in gene expression in the differentiated GnRH neuron.
下丘脑促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）神经元是生殖功能的重要调节因子。在发育过程中，这些细胞起源于嗅基板，并迁移至中枢神经系统，在那里它们形成一群弥散的神经分泌细胞，介导中枢神经系统对生殖的控制。目前对调节这些细胞分化的机制知之甚少。对GnRH基因转录调控的研究表明，锌指转录因子GATA家族在基因表达中具有重要作用。尽管GATA因子在成熟的GnRH分泌神经元中表达不高，但我们报告称，GATA-4在发育中小鼠的迁移GnRH神经元中高度表达。我们还报告称，在GATA因子作用位点调节GnRH基因表达的第二种DNA结合活性在成熟的下丘脑中持续存在，并且可能在分化的GnRH神经元的基因表达中也发挥作用。
