Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) & GnRH-Associated Peptide — Research Products

GAP is the portion of the prepro-GnRH precursor that follows the GnRH decapeptide. It is co-produced during processing, and researchers use synthetic GAP fragments to study precursor handling and to raise antibodies against defined regions of the precursor.

Reports indicate that GnRH is normally released in pulses and that continuous receptor occupancy leads to desensitisation. Experimental designs therefore often compare pulsatile with sustained exposure when studying gonadotroph responses in pituitary cell cultures.

Human and rat sequences are the most common, and forms from other vertebrates including chicken are also studied. The GnRH decapeptide itself is highly conserved, whereas GAP sequences differ considerably, so GAP reagents are usually species-matched.