Question

How does the luteinizing hormone get the thecal follicle cells to produce to be converted into estrogens?

Answer 1

For stimulating the production and secretion of estrogens by the ovaries, the anterior pituitary secretes Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). The theca cells in the ovary respond to LH stimulation by secretion of testosterone, which is converted into estrogen by adjacent granulose cells. The fate of androgen-producing cells in the ovary is regulated by WNT4, a member of the wingless transcription factor family. As when WNT4 is inactivated due to a missense mutation, ovarian androgen production is increased, in part due to reduced repression of expression of steroidogenic enzymes involved in androgen biosynthesis