Liaw et al. (1996) reported that there
are 2 G protein-coupled CRH receptors, CRHR1 and CRHR2, which they termed the CRF2 receptor. The gene consists of 12 exons spanning approximately 30 kb. The predicted protein, which is 411 amino acids
in length and 70% identical to the CRF1 receptor, contains a putative N-terminal secretory signal sequence and 7
putative transmembrane domains.
General function
Receptor
Comment
Cellular localization
Plasma membrane
Comment
Ovarian function
Luteolysis
Comment
Expression regulated by
Comment
Ovarian localization
Luteal cells
Comment
Yasunari Muramatsu, et al 2001 reported urocortin and Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (CRH) Receptor Expression in
Normal Cycling Human Ovaries.
In this study the authors examined urocortin and CRF receptor
expression in
normal cycling human ovaries, using immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Normal
cycling human
ovaries were obtained at oophorectomy and hysterectomy from patients who
underwent surgery
for cervical cancer or myoma uteri. RT-PCR analyses revealed that messenger ribonucleic acid levels for
urocortin, CRF,
and CRF receptor type 1 and type 2 were significantly higher in the regressing
corpus luteum
than in the functioning corpus luteum. These results suggest that
urocortin is locally
synthesized in steroidogenic luteal cells and acts on them as an autocrine
and/or paracrine
regulator of ovarian steroidogenesis, especially during luteal regression.
Follicle stages
Corpus luteum
Comment
Phenotypes
Mutations
1 mutations
Species: mouse
Mutation name: None
type: null mutation fertility: fertile Comment:Coste et al. (2000) generated Crhr2 -/- mice through targeted disruption and demonstrated that CRHR2 supplies
regulatory features of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis stress response. Although initiation of the stress
response appeared to be normal, Crhr2 -/- mice showed early termination of adrenocorticotropic hormone (Acth)
release, suggesting that CRHR2 is involved in maintaining hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis drive. CRHR2 also
appears to modify the recovery phase of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response, as corticosterone levels
remained elevated after stress in Crhr2 -/- mice. In addition, stress coping behaviors associated with dearousal
were reduced in Crhr2 -/- mice.