Pituitary gonadotroph estrogen receptor-alpha is necessary for fertility in females

Abstract

Estrogens play a central role in regulating female reproduction throughout the reproductive axis, and the pituitary is one of the major targets of estrogen action. We hypothesized that estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) mediates estrogen action in the pituitary gonadotroph. To test this hypothesis, we generated a mouse line with a selective ER alpha deletion in the gonadotropin alpha-subunit (alpha GSU)-expressing pituitary cells (pituitary-specific ER alpha knockout; ER alpha(flox/flox) alpha GSU(cre)). Although the ER alpha(flox/flox) alpha GSU(cre) female mice maintain a basal level of serum LH and FSH and their ovulatory capacity is comparable to that in controls, they do not display regular estrous cycles and are infertile, indicating a potential disorder in regulating LH and/or FSH secretion. The ER alpha(flox/flox) alpha GSU(cre) female mice express equivalent levels of LH beta and alpha GSU mRNA compared with wild-type mice as determined by microarray analysis. Taken together, these findings indicate that pituitary gonadotroph ER alpha carries out the effects of estrogens with regard to estrous cyclicity and ultimately fertility.