What is LH?
An Introduction to Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is a hormone produced in the anterior pituitary gland involved in regulation of the reproductive function. Specifically, gonadotropic cells in the anterior pituitary gland produce LH or Luteinizing hormone LH SLH production is regulated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. An acute surge in LH levels triggers ovulation and the development of the corpus luteum in females. In males, LH is also called interstitial cell-stimulating hormone (ICSH). They act on the Leydig cells to produce testosterone and work in synergy with the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
The hormone is a heterodimeric glycoprotein that comprises of one alpha and one beta subunits that are non-covalently associated. The alpha subunit in humans contains 92 amino acids whereas the beta subunit varies in its composition, but generally is of 120 amino acids long.
What is the action of luteinizing hormone LH? The beta subunit is responsible for luteinizing hormones’ biological activity and interaction specificity with the LH receptor. The difference in these subunit compositions regulates the bioactivity and degradation speed of luteinizing hormone. The alpha subunit gene is on chromosome 6q12.21 while the gene for the beta subunit is on chromosome 19q13.32.
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is also known as lutrophin, lutropin, LHB, LH-B, LSH-beta, hLSB, LSH-B, and Lutropin subunit beta.