ABSTRACT
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is the primary hypothalamic regulator of reproductive function. The chemical structure of this compound was discovered in 1971 by a group of scientists in Andrew Schally’s laboratory in New Orleans after they derived a small amount of GnRH from porcine hypothalami (1,2). Roger Guillemin then characterized and independently synthesized the hormone, and they both received the Nobel Prize for their achievements. GnRH is a decapeptide that is synthesized as part of a much larger precursor peptide, the GnRHassociated peptide. This peptide is composed of a sequence of 56 amino acids. The availability of the synthetic hormone for dynamic endocrine testing and receptor studies created new insights into the physiological role of GnRH in the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (3).
