INHIBIN AS A FECUNDITY VACCINE

Inhibin acts as a negative feedback regulator of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), therefore, attenuation of its biological activity throu gh immunisation should lead to an increase in the circulating concentr ations of FSH. In turn, this should result in increased ovulation rate s and a consequent increase in litter size. In this article, we review work on the structure and function of inhibin which ultimately led to the development of inhibin-based fecundity vaccines. These vaccines h ave been shown to cause increases in ovulation rate and litter size in sheep and increases in ovulation rate in cattle and pigs. The data es tablish a basis for using inhibin vaccines to increase fecundity in an imals of economic importance.