The inhibin alpha subunit joins either thebeta A orbeta B subunit to form a pituitaryFSH 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 ofgranulosa-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.
