Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone (GRH) is a stimulatory hypothalamic hypophysiotropic hormone which, along with an inhibitory peptide, somatostatin (SRIF), regulates the synthesis and secretion of GH in anterior pituitary somatotrophs. Although GHRH genes in several species have been characterized, there is only a limited understanding of the neural and hormonal mechanisms regulating GRH biosynthesis and secretion. Recent progress in PCR and in situ hybridization techniques as well as hGRF-transgenic animal models have provided an opportunity to study the regulation of GRH gene expression and secretion as well as its metabolism. The difference in 5'-untranslated sequences in both mouse and rat GRH cDNAs from hypothalamus and placenta has also suggested tissue-specific regulation of the GRH gene. GH excess has been shown to result in a decrease in hypothalamic GRH mRNA as well as GRH content and secretion while GH deficiency caused by hypophysectomy, hypothyroidism or genetic dwarfism causes an increase in GRH mRNA levels as tested by Northern blot analysis or in situ hybridization. Treatment of animals with GH or SRIF inhibits the increased GRH gene expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. Double immunocytochemistry for hypothalamic GRH and SRIF has shown both axo-perikaryal and axo-axonal connections between GRH- and SRIF- containing neurons. SRIF binding and GH receptor mRNA are demonstrated on a subpopulation of GRH-containing neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. It is therefore possible to conclude that regulation of GRH gene expression, primarily related to inhibitory feedback effects of GH and IGFs on hypothalamic GRH gene expression, is mediated at least in part by SRIF or GH. The single transcript of the human GRH gene encodes a 108 amino acid precursor, prepro-hGRH, which is cleaved into the signal peptide and the remaining peptide, pro-hGRH. The latter is further processed to yield two equipotent forms of the releasing hormone, hGRH(1-44)-NH2, hGRH(1-40)-OH, and a carboxyl-terminal peptide (hGCTP) of unknown function. Studies in transgenic mice demonstrate the processing of hGRH-prohormone into both mature forms of hGRH and hGCTP, and provide evidence that hGRH(1-40)-OH is derived from hGRH(1-44)-NH2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)