Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor is a protein molecule that is found in the outer membrane of certain cells in humans and animals including the chimpanzee, chicken and fish.  This receptor recognizes specific physiological stimuli and directs the cell in the body on how to respond accordingly.  Some of these stimuli arise during reproductive maturation, pregnancy and even infections and results in the cell producing very important proteins.  To date we have a very poor understanding on how these receptor proteins carry out these functions and it is important that we do.  This understanding will facilitate the development of more successful strategies to maintain the health and reproductive potential of livestock as well as understand the underlying mechanisms of some human conditions related to delayed or diminished reproductive development.  We have recently discovered that in addition to residing in the outer cell membrane the gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor also resides within the cell on the nucleus.  We believe it does so in order to respond much more quickly and efficiently to the physiological stimuli and this may represent a recent evolutionary advancement among receptor proteins.  We are currently testing these ideas which challenge the currently held views on how this class of receptor functions in the cell.