Human gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor-activated cellular functions and signaling pathways in extra-pituitary tissues and cancer cells (Review)

Human gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) and its natural ligand human gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) were initially described as signaling complexes that play a key role in reproductive functions. By binding to specific receptors present on pituitary gonadotropes, GnRH regulates the sperm and ovum maturation, as well as steroidogenesis within the context of the hypothalamus-hypophysis axis. The expression of GnRH and its receptor has clearly been established in many extra-pituitary organs. Some of them are tumors from non-reproductive tissues such as liver, larynx, pancreas, colon, lymphoma, kidney, skin, blood and brain as well as tissues from reproductive track, for example ovary, endometrium, prostate and breast or tumors derived from these organs. Expression of GnRH and its receptor in these organs has gained much attention and several research groups have established their role during cell proliferation and cell motility. Although the signaling pathways and their effector proteins in these samples remain unclear, the molecular mechanism employed for GnRH and its receptor in extra-pituitary tissues could be related with non-classical GnRHR-signaling pathways. In the present review, we explore the vast literature reported on GnRH and GnRHR principally in tumors, describing how cross-talk between GnRHR and growth factor receptor, the coupling between GnRHR and many G proteins depending on cell context, and the regulation of several proteins associated with cell proliferation and cell motility are employed by GnRHR/GnRH to regulate their extra-pituitary activities.