It is known that a hormone, luteinizing hormone (LH), produced by the pituitary gland induces a number of changes in the follicular wall which results in a rupture of this wall and release of the egg or ovum. The goal of this proposal is to elucidate the mechanism through which luteinizing hormone acting on the granulosa and theca layers of preovulatory follicule induces ovulation. The hypothesis to be tested is that one of the primary roles of LH in the induction of ovulation in the hen involves production of the plasminogen activator and collagenase. These key enzymes either dissociate or degrade the fibers in the stigma region. This research will lead to new fundamental findings.
