GPR3 may not be a potential candidate gene for premature ovarian failure

The G protein-coupled receptor gene GPR3 is expressed predominantly in oocytes, and functions in the early development of oocytes in the ovarian follicle. GPR3 is essential for meiotic arrest maintenance in mice, which makes it a candidate gene for premature ovarian failure (POF). The coding region of GPR3 was screened in 100 Chinese POF patients for variants of the GPR3 gene. Except for one novel variant in the 3'UTR region in three subjects and another novel synonymous c.135G-->A variant in one subject, no perturbations were found in the coding region. The results of this study suggested that mutations in GPR3 are not a common cause of POF in Chinese women.