Anti-Müllerian hormone

REY, R.; PICARD, J.Y.

Encyclopedia of Hormones

Academic Press-Elsevier Inc

Lugar: San Diego; Año: 2003; p. 146 - 156

Anti-Mu¨ llerian hormone (AMH) is involved in the differentiation of the internal genitalia in the fetus; it is produced by fetal testicular Sertoli cells and ovarian granulosa cells. AMH produced by the fetal testis induces the regression of the Mu¨ llerian ducts. Granulosa cells produce only small amounts of AMH late in fetal life, when the Mu¨ llerian ducts are no longer sensitive to the hormone. In the ovary, AMH down-regulates  luteinizing hormone receptor and aromatase activities, leading to a decrease in estrogen production. AMH exerts its action by binding to a specific membrane receptor, AMHR-II, inducing the recruitment of a nonspecific type I receptor, ALK2 or ALK6, and leading to the phosphorylation of Smad1, which binds to Smad4, is translocated to the nucleus, and regulates target gene expression. The biological actions of AMH in fetal sex differentiation, the regulation of AMH expression, and the clinical applications of AMH are discussed. I