Clinical and molecular genetics of the human GnRH receptor

A functional GnRH receptor (GnRH-R) in the anterior pituitary is critical for normal LH/FSH secretion, pubertal development and reproduction. Inactivating mutations of the GnRH-R have been identified in patients with idiopathic hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. In this article we summarize phenotypic characteristics of these patients and focus on specific functional alterations of the human GnRH-R. In-vitro studies using recombinant receptor constructs demonstrate that GnRH-R missense mutations result in impaired ligand binding and reduced signal transduction, causing gonadotrophin deficiency. A detailed molecular understanding of receptor inactivation may help to design new GnRH agonists to therapeutically modulate GnRH-R function.