Our laboratory investigates cell signaling and gene expression in the mammalian reproductive axis.

Our research program in reproductive biology seeks to understand how hormones secreted from the pituitary gland (FSH and LH) act on the ovary to bring about the changes in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and gene expression that will result in ovulation and luteinization of the ovarian follicle during each reproductive cycle. We use the genes encoding the hormones inhibin and activin, which are produced in the ovary and act on the pituitary gland to regulate reproductive hormone secretion, as a model system to address these questions. We are presently focused on two major research directions. We are investigating the dynamic regulation of inhibin expression during the reproductive cycle, and are exploring the roles of cAMP-responsive transcription factors (CREB and ICER) as well as the related orphan nuclear receptors steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) and liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1), in this process. We are also investigating developmental pathways in the ovary involved in the initial formation and growth of ovarian follicles, and are attempting to understand how inhibin and activin regulate normal follicle development and how their misexpression might contribute to the formation of abnormal follicles. Our work focuses on molecular mechanisms regulating normal reproductive function, but is substantially informed by, and relevant to, reproductive disorders that impact fertility.

T.L. Miller and K.E. Mayo (1997). "Glucocorticoids Regulate Pituitary Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptor mRNA Expression." Endocrinology 138: 2458-2465.

V. DeAlmeida and K.E. Mayo (1998). "Identification of Functional Domains of the GHRH-Receptor by Analysis of Mutant and Chimeric Proteins." Molecular Endocrinology 12: 750-765.

A. Mukherjee, J. Urban, P. Sassone-Corsi, and K.E. Mayo (1998). "Gonadotropins Regulate Inducible cAMP Early Repressor (ICER) mRNAs in the Rat Ovary: Implications for Inhibin a Subunit Gene Expression." Molecular Endocrinology 12: 785-800.

A. Ardekani, J.C.D. Romanelli, and K.E. Mayo (1998). "Structure of Rat Inhibin and Activin bA Subunit Gene Regulation in an Ovarian Granulosa Cell Line." Endocrinology 139: 3271-3279.

T. Miller, P. Godfrey, K.E. Mayo, and V. DeAlmeida (1999). "The Rat Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptor Gene: Structure, Regulation, and Generation of Receptor Isoforms with Different Signaling Properties." Endocrinology 140: 4152-4165.

Burkart, A.D., Mukherjee, A., Sterneck, E., Johnson, P.F., and Mayo, K.E. (2005). "Repression of the Inhibin a Subunit Gene by the Transcription Factor CCAAT/Enhancer Binding Protein Beta (C/EBP b )." Endocrinology 146:1909-1921.

Bristol-Gould, S.K., Hutten, C.G., Sturgis, C., Kilen, S.M., Mayo, K.E., and Woodruff, T.K. (2005). "The Development of a Mouse Model of Ovarian Endosalpingiosis. " Endocrinology 146:5228-5236.

Burkart, A.D., Mukherjee, A., and Mayo, K.E. (2006). "Mechanism of Repression of the Inhibin a Subunit Gene by Inducible cAMP Early Repressor." Molecular Endocrinology 20:584-97 .

Little, T.H., Zhang, Y., Matulis, C.K., Weck, J., Zhang, Z., Ramachandran, A., Mayo, K.E., and Radhakrishnan, I. (2006). "Sequence-Specific DNA Recognition by Steroidogenic Factor 1: A Helix at the Carboxy-Terminus of the DNA Binding Domain is Necessary for Complex Stability." Molecular Endocrinology 20:831-843.

Weck, J., and Mayo, K.E. (2006). "Switching of NR5A Proteins Associated with the Inhibin-Subunit Gene Promoter Following Activation of the Gene in Granulosa Cells." Molecular Endocrinology 20:1090-1103.

McElvaine AT, Mayo KE. A dominant-negative human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor splice variant inhibits GHRH binding. Endocrinology. 2006 Apr;147(4):1884-94. Epub 2006 Jan 19.

Burdette JE, Kurley SJ, Kilen SM, Mayo KE, Woodruff TK. Gonadotropin-induced superovulation drives ovarian surface epithelia proliferation in CD1 mice. Endocrinology. 2006 May;147(5):2338-45. Epub 2006 Feb 16.

Bristol-Gould SK, Kreeger PK, Selkirk CG, Kilen SM, Mayo KE, Shea LD, Woodruff TK. Fate of the initial follicle pool: empirical and mathematical evidence supporting its sufficiency for adult fertility. Dev Biol. 2006 Oct 1;298(1):149-54. Epub 2006 Jun 18.

Bristol-Gould SK, Kreeger PK, Selkirk CG, Kilen SM, Cook RW, Kipp JL, Shea LD, Mayo KE, Woodruff TK. Postnatal regulation of germ cells by activin: the establishment of the initial follicle pool. Dev Biol. 2006 Oct 1;298(1):132-48. Epub 2006 Jun 17.

Lerch TF, Xu M, Jardetzky TS, Mayo KE, Radhakrishnan I, Kazer R, Shea LD, Woodruff TK. The structures that underlie normal reproductive function. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2006 Nov 30; [Epub ahead of print]

Kipp JL, Kilen SM, Bristol-Gould S, Woodruff TK, Mayo KE. Neonatal Exposure to Estrogens Suppresses Activin Expression and Signaling in the Mouse Ovary. Endocrinology. 2007 Jan 25; [Epub ahead of print]

View all publications by publications by Kelly E. Mayo listed in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed).