The anterior pituitary gland produces Follicular Stimulating Hormone (among othe

Question

The anterior pituitary gland produces Follicular Stimulating Hormone (among others). People lacking FSH fail to produce sperm/eggs and are infertile. Imagine that you are a researcher and would like to find a way to produce large amounts of FSH so that such people would be able to have children. Using the example ( (pituitary dwarfism) and techniques (genetic engineering, reverse transcriptase to produce cdnas, using plasmids in cloning, using restriction endonucleases and dna ligase to cut and paste dna, CDNA LIbrary,, screening a CDNA library etc) that we have discussed, how would you go about doing this? Include: (a) How you would identify the gene responsible for producing FSH
(b) How you would then insert that gene into bacteria for large scale production of FSH. (C) Include the techniques you would use at each steps. I need all answers to be about genetic engineering including a probe, plasmids, etc the pituitary gland and FSH are merely examples such as insulin for diabetics so i dont need an explanation of that thanks

Explanation / Answer

a)

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone found in humans . It is synthesized and secreted by gonadotrophs of the anterior pituitary gland. . FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) act synergistically in reproduction. Specifically, an increase in FSH secretion by the anterior pituitary causes ovulation.FSH is a glycoprotein.The gene for the alpha subunit is located on chromosome 6p21.1-23. It is expressed in different cell types. The gene for the FSH beta subunit is located on chromosome 11p13, and is expressed in gonadotropes of the pituitary cells, controlled by GnRH, inhibited by inhibin, and enhanced by activin.


Azoospermia is the term used when there is a complete absence of sperm in the ejaculate. Most patients assume that this diagnosis would rule out the possibility of his ever conceiving a child. Azoospermia is og two types, that is whether the problem lies in the sperm production or in the delivery. That is, are the testes simply not producing sperm or are they producing sperm but unable to deliver it in the ejaculate?
The three major causes for lack of sperm production are hormonal problems, testicular failure, and varicocele.
Hormonal Problems: The testicles need pituitary hormones to be stimulated to make sperm. If these are absent or severely decreased, the testes will not maximally produce sperm.
Testicular Failure: This generally refers to the inability of the sperm producing part of the testicle (the seminiferous epithelium) to make adequate numbers of mature sperm. This failure may occur at any stage in sperm production for a number of reasons. Either the testicle may completely lack the cells that divide to become sperm (this is called "Sertoli cell-only syndrome.") or there may be an inability of the sperm to complete their development (this is termed a "maturation arrest.")
Varicocele: A varicocele is dilated veins in the scrotum, (just as an individual may have vericose veins in their legs.) These veins are dilated because the blood does not drain properly from them. These dilated veins allow extra blood to pool in the scrotum, which has a negative effect on sperm production.
Sperm Delivery Problems - Ductal Absence or Blockage: Sperm delivery complications are generally caused either by a problem with the ductal system that carries the sperm, or problems with ejaculation. The sperm carrying ducts may be missing or blocked. Thus the patient may have bilateral (both sides) congenital (from birth) absence of the vas deferens. Or he may have obstructions either at the level of the epididymis (the delicate tubular structure draining the testes) or higher up in the more muscular vas deferens. He may have become mechanically blocked during hernia or hydrocele repairs.

b)

Recent developments in recombinant DNA technology have enabled thelarge scale production of human recombinant follicle stimulating hormone(rFSH); and this compound has recently been introduced to the market.Understanding of the structure-function relationship of FSH isohormonesis crucial in understanding discussions on the standardization procedures ofgonadotrophin preparations, potential differences in clinical efficacy of thevarious gonadotrophin preparations and in comprehending future developments(long-acting and short-acting forms, and rFSH preparations withaltered isohormone profiles).

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