Inhibin, alpha, also known as INHA, is a
protein which in humans is encoded by the INHAgene.[5]
Function
The inhibin alpha subunit joins either the
beta A or
beta B subunit to form a pituitary
FSH secretion inhibitor.
Inhibin has been shown to regulate gonadal stromal cell proliferation negatively and to have tumour-suppressor activity. In addition, serum levels of inhibin have been shown to reflect the size of
granulosa-cell tumors and can therefore be used as a marker for primary as well as recurrent disease.
However, in prostate cancer, expression of the inhibin alpha-subunit gene was suppressed and was not detectable in poorly differentiated tumor cells. Furthermore, because expression in gonadal and various extragonadal tissues may vary severalfold in a tissue-specific fashion, it is proposed that inhibin may be both a growth/differentiation factor and a hormone.[6]
^"Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^"Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^Burger HG, Igarashi M (April 1988). "Inhibin: definition and nomenclature, including related substances". Endocrinology. 122 (4): 1701–2.
doi:
10.1210/endo-122-4-1701.
PMID3345731.
Welt C, Sidis Y, Keutmann H, Schneyer A (2002). "Activins, inhibins, and follistatins: from endocrinology to signaling. A paradigm for the new millennium". Exp. Biol. Med. (Maywood). 227 (9): 724–52.
doi:
10.1177/153537020222700905.
PMID12324653.
S2CID19795772.
Vannelli GB, Barni T, Forti G, Negro-Vilar A, Vale W, Serio M, et al. (1992). "Immunolocalization of inhibin alpha-subunit in the human testis. A light- and electron-microscopy study". Cell Tissue Res. 269 (2): 221–7.
doi:
10.1007/bf00319612.
PMID1423490.
Shimonaka M, Inouye S, Shimasaki S, Ling N (1991). "Follistatin binds to both activin and inhibin through the common subunit". Endocrinology. 128 (6): 3313–5.
doi:
10.1210/endo-128-6-3313.
PMID2036994.
Lappöhn RE, Burger HG, Bouma J, Bangah M, Krans M, De Bruijn HW (1989). "Inhibin as a marker for granulosa-cell tumors". N. Engl. J. Med. 321 (12): 790–3.
doi:
10.1056/NEJM198909213211204.
PMID2770810.
Burger HG, Igarashi M (1988). "Inhibin: definition and nomenclature, including related substances". Endocrinology. 122 (4): 1701–2.
doi:
10.1210/endo-122-4-1701.
PMID3345731.
Mason AJ, Niall HD, Seeburg PH (1986). "Structure of two human ovarian inhibins". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 135 (3): 957–64.
doi:
10.1016/0006-291X(86)91021-1.
PMID3754442.
Nishihara T, Okahashi N, Ueda N (1994). "Activin A induces apoptotic cell death". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 197 (2): 985–91.
doi:
10.1006/bbrc.1993.2576.
PMID8267637.
Mason AJ, Farnworth PG, Sullivan J (1997). "Characterization and determination of the biological activities of noncleavable high molecular weight forms of inhibin A and activin A". Mol. Endocrinol. 10 (9): 1055–65.
doi:
10.1210/mend.10.9.8885240.
PMID8885240.