Transcript for LH Hormone Podcast

          Luteinizing hormone is a hormone produced by gonadotrophic cells in the anterior pituitary gland. In females, if there is a rise in levels of the LH hormone, ovulation will be triggered and corpus luteum is developed. It also helps increase the amount of estrogen produced by follicle cells. LH sometimes goes together with the hormone FSH. A chemical pathway is a series of interconnected reactions that share common mechanisms, and each reaction is dependent on a specific precursor, such as, a chemical, an enzyme, or the transfer of energy. LH is a heterodimer glycoprotein, meaning that each monomeric unit is a glycoprotein molecule, and one alpha and one beta subunit make a full functioning protein. The structure of LH is similar to the structure of other glycoprotein hormones, such as, Follicle-stimulating hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and human chorionic gonadotropin. Different compositions of the oligosaccharides in LH affect the bioactivity and speed of degradation of the hormone. LH is water soluble, meaning that it does not readily pass through the lipid-rich plasma membrane that surrounds the target cell. It does, however, combine with receptors on the surface of the target cell. The receptors are glycoprotein complexes. A cellular receptor that interacts with LH is the luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor, or LHCGR. It is a trans-membrane receptor mostly found in the ovary and testis. The principal regulator of LH secretion is gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH. It is synthesized and secreted from hypothalamic neurons, and bind to receptors on gonadotrophs. It is necessary for it to be active during reproduction for proper hormonal functioning.  LH runs off of a negative feedback loop, meaning that the result of the process influences the operation of the process in a way that reduces changes.