Inhibin a Human

Inhibin alpha (INHA) is a glycoprotein hormone that plays a crucial role in the regulation of the reproductive system. It is a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily and is encoded by the INHA gene located on chromosome 2q35 . Inhibin alpha is primarily known for its role in inhibiting the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from the pituitary gland, thereby regulating the production of gametes and gonadal function .

Inhibin is a dimeric protein composed of an alpha subunit and one of two possible beta subunits (beta A or beta B). The combination of the alpha subunit with beta A forms inhibin A, while the combination with beta B forms inhibin B . The inhibin alpha subunit is essential for the biological activity of inhibin, as it is responsible for binding to the receptors on target cells and mediating the inhibitory effects on FSH secretion .

In addition to its role in the reproductive system, inhibin alpha has been shown to have tumor-suppressor activity and is involved in the regulation of gonadal stromal cell proliferation . It is also used as a biomarker for certain types of tumors, such as granulosa cell tumors of the ovary and testicular sex cord-stromal tumors .

Recombinant inhibin alpha is produced using recombinant DNA technology, which involves inserting the gene encoding the inhibin alpha subunit into a suitable expression system, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), to produce the protein in large quantities . The recombinant protein is then purified and used for various research and clinical applications.

One of the primary uses of recombinant inhibin alpha is as a positive control in immunological assays, such as Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) . It is also used in studies investigating the role of inhibin in reproductive biology and cancer research.

Inhibin alpha is a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of certain types of tumors. Elevated levels of inhibin alpha in the serum can indicate the presence of granulosa cell tumors of the ovary, as well as other sex cord-stromal tumors . In contrast, reduced expression of inhibin alpha has been observed in poorly differentiated prostate cancer cells, suggesting a potential role in tumor progression .

Furthermore, inhibin alpha expression has been studied in a wide range of tumor types using tissue microarrays. These studies have shown that inhibin alpha positivity is not limited to gonadal tumors but can also be found in other tumor entities, such as adrenocortical neoplasms and pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas .