Regulation of the primate corpus luteum: Cellular and molecular perspectives

The process of luteinization, during which follicular granulosa cells are t ransformed into luteal cells, is accompanied by dramatic changes in the res ponses of luteal cells to luteinizing hormone (LH) and cAMP. The goal of th is review is to summarize the findings of recent studies in monkeys, which have shown that the expression of the cAMP-dependent nuclear transcription factor CREB (cAMP-response element-binding protein) ceases upon luteinizati on, and also to suggest possible consequences of its loss on corpus luteum function and lifespan.