The presence of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-binding sites in human breast carcinomas and breast tumor cell lines as well as the demonstration of the inhibitory effects of GnRH analogues on the growth of these cells raised the possibility that GnRH is produced locally by breast tumor cells themselves. Immunoreactive GnRH was shown to be present in acetic acid extracts of cultured MDA-MB-231 and ZR-75-1 breast carcinoma cells. These extracts were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and were analyzed by means of region-specific antisera with differing GnRH sequence specificities. A peak of GnRH which coeluted with synthetic mammalian GnRH in 2 different high-performance liquid chromatography systems was similarly detected by antisera directed at the NH2 terminus, at the middle portion and at the N and COOH termini together. The GnRH gene is expressed in these breast tumor lines, as determined by S1 nuclease protection assay, oligonucleotide primer extension studies, and polymerase chain reaction amplification of complementary DNA using oligonucleotides. The primer extension studies indicate that several forms of mRNA are present. The predominant form corresponds to the excision of intron I and the use of a start site about 60 bases upstream of intron I as in the human hypothalamus. Less usage is made of other start sites further upstream. Much larger species of mRNA were also present and correspond to the retention of intron I as in human placenta. The demonstration of GnRH gene expression and the presence of immunoreactive GnRH in mammary carcinoma cells known to have GnRH-binding sites and to be affected by GnRH analogues suggests that GnRH may serve an autocrine regulatory role.