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PubMed1998

Thecal cell-granulosa cell interactions involve a positive feedback loop among keratinocyte growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and Kit ligand during ovarian follicular development.

Interactions between mesenchymal-derived thecal cells and epithelial-derived granulosa cells are essential for follicular development in the ovary. These mesenchymal-epithelial cell interactions are in part mediated by keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and Kit ligand (KL). This study investigates the hypothesis that thecal cell-derived growth factors (e.g. KGF and HGF) regulate granulosa cell function, and granulosa cell-derived growth factors (e.g. KL) regulate thecal cell function. Gonadotropin regulation of this cell-cell interaction is also examined. Sensitive quantitative RT-PCR assays were used to analyze gene expression of KGF, HGF, and KL in the ovary. Thecal cell-derived KGF and HGF stimulated KL expression in bovine granulosa cells. Granulosa cell-derived KL stimulated KGF and HGF expression in bovine thecal cells. These results suggest that thecal and granulosa cells interact in a positive feedback loop mediated by KGF, HGF, and KL. Previous studies have suggested that gonadotropins (i.e. FSH and LH) regulate locally produced growth factor expression in the ovary. Treatment of bovine granulosa cells with FSH and hCG (a LH agonist) directly stimulated KL expression. The LH agonist hCG was also found to stimulate both KGF and HGF expression in thecal cells. The actions of gonadotropins on follicular development may in part be indirectly regulated by KL, KGF, and HGF expression. A novel positive feedback loop was identified between thecal cells and granulosa cells that is mediated by KL, KGF, and HGF. Thecal cell-derived KGF and HGF can stimulate granulosa cell-derived KL expression, and KL, in turn, can stimulate thecal cell-derived KGF and HGF expression. Combined observations support the hypothesis that mesenchymal-epithelial cell interactions between thecal and granulosa cells can play a significant role during ovarian follicular development and mediate gonadotropin actions.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Influence of intrauterine infections and follicular development on the response to GnRH administration in postpartum dairy cows.

The effects of intrauterine infections and prior follicular development on the response to gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) administration in postpartum dairy cows were studied. Fifty lactating Holstein cows were assigned at random to one of two groups after calving. Group I (control) consisted of 25 cows given a single intramuscular injection of saline on Day 15 postpartum. Group II (treated) consisted of 25 herdmates given a single i.m. injection of 100 mug of GnRH on Day 15 postpartum. Palpation per rectum and real-time ultrasonography were used to monitor ovarian activity, and endometrial swabs were cultured to determine the presence of uterine infection. Blood samples were collected for progesterone (P(4)) and luteinizing hormone (LH) analysis. Fourteen cows (control, n = 5; treated, n = 9) did not ovulate during the first 60 d postpartum. Ovaries in these cows contained 4 to 8-mm size follicles and both P(4) and LH remained at basal concentrations. Fourteen other cows (control, n = 6; treated, n = 8) ovulated by Day 15 postpartum. Follicles >/= 10 mm were demonstrable in the ovaries of these cows before or by Day 12 postpartum. GnRH treatment had no effect on the lifespan of the existing corpus luteum in these cows. In the remaining cows, 7 of 14 Control and all 8 Treated cows ovulated within 3 d of treatment. All cows ovulating within this period were free of uterine infection and the ovaries contained follicles </= 10 mm on Day 12 postpartum. The number of ovulations before Day 60 postpartum was higher (P<0.05) in GnRH treated (n = 8) versus control cows (n = 14). The results suggest that intrauterine infections and prior follicular development influence the response of postpartum dairy cows to GnRH administration on Day 15. Intrauterine infections delayed postpartum follicular development and GnRH treatment in cows with postpartum uterine infections was detrimental to resumption of ovarian activity.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Coordinated and cell-specific regulation of membrane type matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MT1-MMP) and its substrate matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) by physiological signals during follicular development and ovulation.

In the ovary, extensive tissue remodeling is required during both follicular development and the break down of the follicular wall at the time of ovulation. Extracellular proteases such as serine proteases and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are thought to play pivotal roles in these processes. In this paper, we have used in situ hybridization to study the regulation and distribution of mRNA coding for MMP-2 (gelatinase A) and its cell surface activator membrane-type MMP1 (MT1-MMP) during gonadotropin induced ovulation in the rat. In ovaries of untreated immature (23 day old) rats, the levels of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNA were low. MMP-2 mRNA was found in theca-interstitial cells while MT1-MMP mRNA was found in both granulosa and theca-interstitial cells and both messages were induced after stimulation with PMSG. After an ovulatory dose of hCG, the expression of MT1-MMP was dramatically down regulated in the granulosa cell layers of large preovulatory follicles but the expression remained and appeared to be up regulated together with MMP-2 in the theca-interstitial cells surrounding the large preovulatory follicles. The expression kinetics and tissue distribution supports the notion that MT1-MMP may have dual functions in the ovary. Initially MT1-MMP may act as a matrix degrading protease inside the follicle during follicular development and later, just prior to ovulation, as an activator of proMMP-2 in theca-interstitial cells surrounding preovulatory follicles.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Ovulation and follicular development associated with three low-dose oral contraceptives: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To address the hypothesis that multiphasic oral contraceptives (OCs) increase rather than decrease the risk of functional ovarian cysts. METHODS: In this single-center, randomized controlled study, women were assigned to a multiphasic pill, a lower-dose monophasic pill, a higher-dose monophasic pill, or nonsteroidal contraception. Forty volunteers were randomized (ten each) to three different pill regimens or to nonsteroidal contraception. During 6 months of treatment, follicular development was measured by vaginal ultrasonography and ovulation was indicated by serum progesterone levels. RESULTS: The relative risk (RR) of developing a follicular structure greater than 30 mm in diameter during a cycle with the higher-dose monophasic pill was 0.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.1-1.9; P = .49) compared with the multiphasic pill. The risk with the lower-dose monophasic pill was comparable to that with the multiphasic pill (RR 1.3, 95% CI 0.5-3.6; P = .56). With the multiphasic pill, the maximum ovulation rate over 60 cycles was 1.7 per 100 cycles (95% CI 0.0-8.9). CONCLUSION: This multiphasic pill more closely resembled the lower-dose monophasic pill than the higher-dose monophasic pill in its suppression of follicular development.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Granulosa-thecal cell interactions in the regulation of plasminogen activator activity during ovarian follicular development in the hen.

In the present studies, hen granulosa and thecal cells from the first (F1) and fourth (F4) largest and developing large white follicles (LWF) were cultured alone or cocultured, and plasminogen activator (PA) activity was determined. The PA of the cells (PAc) and the medium (PAm) was measured through use of the chromogenic substrate Val-Leu-Lys-p-nitroanilide, and the total PA (PAt) was calculated. The PA activity of cultured granulosa cells from all stages of follicular development increased with time of culture. Granulosa cell PAc and PAm activity differed with follicular development: the LWF granulosa cells had the highest levels of activity, the F4 had intermediate levels, and the F1 cells had the lowest. Thecal cell PA activity increased during culture but was unaffected by the stage of follicular development. Cocultures of granulosa and thecal cells from F1 follicles exhibited PA activity 2- to 3-fold higher than the sum of the activities of granulosa and thecal cells cultured alone. The PA activity of granulosa cells from LWF was not affected by coculture with thecal cells. Conditioned medium from thecal cells (TCCM) of all stages of follicular development stimulated PAc activity of granulosa cells from F1 and F4 follicles. Conditioned medium from thecal cells of F4 and LWF caused small inhibitory effects on the PAc activity of granulosa cells from LWF. Zymographic analysis of the PA activity of F1 granulosa cell cultures indicates that the enzyme activity is associated with a molecular mass of about 33 kDa, which is consistent with that of urokinase type PA. Thecal cell PA activity was unaffected by granulosa cell-conditioned medium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1980

Alterations in granulosa cell aromatase activity accompanying preovulatory follicular development in the rat ovary with evidence that 5alpha-reduced C19 steroids inhibit the aromatase reaction in vitro.

Locally produced androgens and oestrogens are thought to be important factors in the hormonal regulation of follicular development. In the present study the relationship between follicular maturity and granulosa cell aromatase activity has been examined in vitro. Granulosa cells harvested from the largest antral follicles in adult rat ovaries produced negligible amounts of immunoreactive oestradiol when incubated for 3 h in vitro irrespective of the day of the oestrous cycle upon which they were obtained. However, the addition of aromatizable C19 steroid substrate (testosterone, androstenedione or 19-hydroxyandro-stenedione) to the incubation medium resulted in time- and concentration-dependent increases in oestradiol production which were related to the level of follicular maturity attained in vivo. By measuring oestradiol production using testosterone (10(-7) mol/l) as substrate, the aromatase activity of granulosa cells obtained on the first day of vaginal dioestrus was shown to be only a fraction (less than 5%) of that observed for cells obtained on the morning of pro-oestrus. Cells obtained on the second day of dioestrus displayed an intermediate level of activity which remained approximately five times lower than that of granulosa cells at pro-oestrus. These observations, therefore, establish the induction or activation of granulosa cell aromatase activity as a correlate of normal preovulatory follicular development. However, intrafollicular androgen/oestrogen ratios may also be influenced by quantitative and/or qualitative alterations in the C19 steroidal substrate available for the aromatase reaction. Thus, the naturally occurring non-aromatizable 5alpha-reduced androgen metabolites, 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone and 5alpha-androstanedione, proved to be potent competitive inhibitors of the granulosa cell aromatase reaction in vitro. In this respect each of these biologically active androgens was more effective than 1-enetestololactone, an established C19 steroidal aromatase inhibitor. Since C19 steroid 5alpha-reductase is known to be an ovarian enzyme, it is suggested that by affecting the androgenic/oestrogenic composition of the hormonal milieu, local alterations in the activity of this enzyme may be an additional determinant of preovulatory follicular development and function.

Androgens↗
PubMed1979

Induction of follicular development and ovulation in seasonally acyclic mares using gonadotrophin-releasing hormones and progesterone.

Deeply acyclic (seasonally anovulatory) mares were treated with GnRH or a GnRH analogue to induce follicular development and ovulation. Courses of GnRH (3--4) were administered at approximately 10-day intervals to reproduce the gonadotrophin surges which precede ovulation in the normal cycle. Exogenous progesterone was administered in an attempt to reproduce the luteal phase pattern. Induced serum FSH concentrations were comparable to those causing follicular development in the normal cycle, but induced LH levels were lower and of shorter duration than those of the periovulatory surge. Three of 4 mares treated with GnRH appeared to ovulate, but did not establish CL. Nine of 10 mares given GnRH analogue also developed follicles during the final treatment course, as did mares treated with progesterone only, while only 1 of 5 untreated control mares showed any ovarian development. Failure to induce final follicular maturation and CL development by this treatment regimen may be due to an inadequate LH surge at the time of the expected ovulation associated with the low preovulatory oestradiol-17 beta surge, possibly caused by the preceding FSH stimulation being inadequate or inappropriate. Progesterone treatment increased baseline FSH concentrations in GnRH-treated mares, and also stimulated follicular development in mares not treated with GnRH, indicating a possible role for progesterone in folliculogenesis and, indirectly, ovulation.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Stem cell factor (SCF)-kit mediated phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3) kinase signaling during mammalian oocyte growth and early follicular development.

The bi-directional communication between mammalian oocytes and their surrounding granulosa cells has been shown to be crucial for ovarian follicular development. Studies on molecules derived from the oocytes, such as growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) and bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP-15), have attracted great interest during the past decade, and it is common knowledge nowadays that these molecules participate in the bi-directional dialogue between the oocytes and their surrounding granulosa cells as well as follicular development. However, signaling molecules and pathways inside mammalian oocytes that control oocyte growth and early development of ovarian follicles, which may be monitored by factors produced by granulosa cells, have not been studied extensively. Based on our own data as well as ovarian phenotypes observed in several gene modified mice strains that were generated for studies of signal transduction, immunology and cancer, the current review focuses on the key features of the activation of oocyte phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3 kinase) pathway and its possible roles during mammalian oocyte growth and follicular development. We propose that the cascade from the granulosa cell-produced stem cell factor (SCF) to the oocyte surface SCF receptor Kit, and to the oocyte PI3 kinase pathway, may play an important role in the regulation of growth rate of mammalian oocytes, as well as in the activation and development of ovarian follicles.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Onset of steroidogenic enzyme gene expression during ovarian follicular development in sheep.

Steroidogenesis is a major function of the developing follicle. However, little is known about the stage of onset of steroid regulatory proteins during follicular development in sheep. In this study, several steroidogenic enzymes were studied by immunohistochemistry and/or in situ hybridization; cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage (P450(scc)), cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase (17alphaOH), 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD), cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450(arom)), steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and LH receptor (LH-R). To define the stages of follicular growth, ovarian maps were drawn from serial sections of ovine ovaries, and follicles were located and classified at specific stages of growth based on morphological criteria. In this way, the precise onset of gene expression with respect to stages of follicular growth for all these proteins could be observed. The key findings were that ovine oocytes express StAR mRNA at all stages of follicular development and that granulosa cells in follicle types 1-3 express 3beta-HSD and SF-1. Furthermore, the onset of expression in theca cells of StAR, P450(scc), 17alphaOH, 3beta-HSD, and LH-R occurred in large type 4 follicles just before antrum formation. This finding suggests that although the theca interna forms from the type 2 stage, it does not become steroidogenically active until later in development. These studies also confirm that granulosa cells of large type 5 follicles express SF-1, StAR, P450(scc), LH-R, and P450(arom) genes. These findings raise new questions regarding the roles of steroidogenic regulatory factors in early follicular development.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗
PubMed2026

PAFAH1B1 governs follicular development by modulating the protein complex of CCNE1-CDK2-CDK1 to induce cell cycle arrest.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian follicle development plays a crucial role in mammalian fertility, which is primarily regulated by granulosa cell (GC) proliferation and cell cycle. Cell cycle dysregulation collectively might drive follicular atresia through GC dysfunction. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. METHODS: The scRNA-seq and integrative analysis revealed that PAFAH1B1 was involved in cell cycle. Functional assays, including overexpression/knockdown, flow cytometry, EdU, HE, and TUNEL, confirmed that PAFAH1B1 regulated cell cycle and follicular development in vitro and in vivo. CoIP showed that PAFAH1B1 bound CCNE1-CDK2-CDK1 to arrest G2/M phase. Chromatin accessibility and CRISPR/dCas9-TET1 demonstrated that DNA methylation modulated PAFAH1B1 transcription. RESULTS: A novel regulator of cell cycle, PAFAH1B1, was identified in Pig Genotype-Tissue Expression (PigGTEx). During GC proliferation, we found that PAFAH1B1 transcription was correlated with the distribution rate of G1 phase in GCs. PAFAH1B1 protein was confirmed to specifically bind to CCNE1-CDK2-CDK1 to arrest G2/M phase. Notably, PAFAH1B1 appeared to hinder the development of follicles. Furthermore, the demethylation significantly promoted the transcription activity and chromatin accessibility of CpG island (-7&#xa0;bp to +170&#xa0;bp) of PAFAH1B1. Taken together, PAFAH1B1 physically interacted with the CCNE1-CDK2-CDK1 complex to arrest G2/M phase and inhibit the GCs proliferation and follicular development. Additionally, demethylation of CpG island significantly promoted the transcription of PAFAH1B1. CONCLUSION: These findings not only advance understanding of cell proliferation and cycle regulation but also identify PAFAH1B1 as a candidate gene for further investigation in follicular development.

CCNE1-CDK2-CDK1 complex↗
PubMed1998

The effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist on androstenedione production and follicular development during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

PURPOSE: We performed a prospective randomized study to assess the effects of a GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) on follicular development and steroidogenesis during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). METHODS: Patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) for tubal infertility received human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) stimulation with or without the GnRH-a, buserelin, beginning in the midluteal phase of the prior cycle. We analyzed serum hormone levels, follicular development, and outcome of IVF. RESULTS: The mean number of retrieved oocytes was significantly greater, and the implantation rate per embryo was significantly higher, in the GnRH-a/hMG group (n = 101) than in the hMG-only group (n = 97). The concentration of androstenedione (A) and the A/estradiol ratio in the serum were significantly lower in the GnRH-a treatment group throughout the follicular phase. CONCLUSIONS: The concomitant use of GnRH-a during COH prevents atretic change of the follicles and enhances follicular development by reducing androgen accumulation, resulting in a higher developmental competence of the oocytes.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Estradiol receptor content in rat granulosa cells during follicular development: modification by estradiol and gonadotropins.

To examine the relationships between gonadotropic hormones, ovarian follicular development, and estradiol receptor content in rat granulosa cells, follicular growth was stimulated in intact immature rats and hypophysectomized immature rats. In intact rats, both PMSG and oFSH given for 2 days stimulated follicular growth and endogenous estrogen production but caused estradiol receptor content in granulosa cells to decrease markedly. In hypophysectomized rats estradiol (2 mg/day X 4) was capable of increasing the content of its own receptor, stimulated preantral follicular development, and potentiated the responses of granulosa cells to highly purified hFSH. Thus, subsequent treatment with hFSH stimulated antral formation and maintained high levels of estradiol receptor content in granulosa cells. LH, on the other hand, caused a rapid decline in the content of estradiol receptor in nuclei of granulosa cells. In hypophysectomized rats primed with estradiol alone, a high dose of oLH caused follicles to undergo atresia. In hypophysectomized rats primed with hFSH in addition to estradiol, oLH stimulated luteinization. Thus, induction of atresia or luteinization by oLH in these rats appears to be associated (cause or effect?) with a loss of estradiol receptor in granulosa cells. Whether follicles of estrogen-treated, hypophysectomized rats luteinize or undergo atresia in response to LH appears to be determined by their stage of differentiation and the nature of the prior stimulation by FSH.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

Regulation of rat granulosa cell plasminogen activator system: influence of interleukin-1 beta and ovarian follicular development.

Tissue remodeling that accompanies ovarian follicular cell proliferation and migration during follicular maturation and ovulation involves enzymatic degradation of extracellular matrix by proteases such as plasminogen activator (PA). However, the potential role of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) in the regulation of the rat granulosa cell PA system during folliculogenesis is not known. In vitro treatment of both undifferentiated and differentiated granulosa cells with FSH (400 ng/ml) elicited a significant increase in secreted (PAs) and cell-associated (PAc) PA activities, which were inhibited by IL-1 beta (0.5-50 ng/ml) in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Basal PAs and PAc activities were stimulated in cultures of undifferentiated granulosa cells by IL-1 beta but attenuated in differentiated ones. The inhibitory effect of IL-1 beta was accompanied by an increase in PA inhibitor (PAI) activity irrespective of the stage of follicular development. Both urokinase-type PA (uPA; 30 kDa) and tissue-type PA (tPA; 55 KDa) activities were present in cultures of undifferentiated granulosa cells, but only tPA was detectable in differentiated granulosa cell cultures. Activity of both enzymes was stimulated by FSH but inhibited by the cytokine in vitro. Whereas FSH-induced differentiation of granulosa cells as indicated by an increase in progesterone (P) secretion was attenuated by IL-1 beta irrespective of the cytodifferentiative state of granulosa cells, the inhibitory effect of gonadotropin on DNA synthesis was reversed by the cytokine at both stages of follicular maturation. These findings suggest that during ovarian folliculogenesis, IL-1 beta may modulate the progression of granulosa cells from a proliferative to a differentiated state and may play a control role in determining the fate of the follicle (i.e., ovulation vs. atresia).

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Follicular development and atresia in the B6.Y(TIR) sex-reversed mouse ovary.

The B6.Y(TIR) mouse fails to develop normal testes despite transcription of Sry, the primary testis-determining gene on the Y chromosome. Consequently, B6.Y(TIR) fetuses with bilateral ovaries develop into apparently normal but infertile females. This infertility can be mainly attributed to oocyte incompatibility for postfertilization development. In addition, abnormality in preovulatory follicles and rapid loss of oocytes have been observed in XY ovaries. This study examined the effect of gonadotropins on follicular development and atresia in B6.Y(TIR) prepubertal females. The results show that untreated XY females had fewer late preantral follicles and their frequency of atresia was lower. No other difference was found when they were compared with XX females. After treatment with gonadotropins for 24 h, frequency of atresia decreased in both XX and XY ovaries. After 48 h, most preovulatory follicles in XY ovaries were nonatretic, but the oocytes often were denuded. Immunocytochemical staining for connexin 43 detected punctate foci along the oocyte plasma membrane. The density of these foci changed during follicular development, which was similar in XX and XY ovaries. In conclusion, follicular development and atresia under the control of gonadotropins is not influenced by defective oocytes until the preovulatory phase.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Quantitative evaluation of the cell cycle-related retinoblastoma protein and localization of Thy-1 differentiation protein and macrophages during follicular development and atresia, and in human corpora lutea.

Ovarian follicular development is dependent on growth and differentiation of the oocyte, as well as the granulosa and theca cell layers. The majority of primary follicles in the adult human ovary are not growing, and most antral follicles undergo atresia. The mechanisms regulating follicular growth and differentiation are poorly understood. Expression of key regulatory proteins in cells of certain follicles may be involved. We have studied the distribution of retinoblastoma protein (pRb), a key cell cycle regulator, in human follicles and CL by quantitative immunohistochemistry. Recent studies suggest that high nuclear concentrations of pRb are associated with the arrest of cell proliferation and the beginning of differentiation; during advanced differentiation of cells pRb is markedly depleted or absent. We also studied follicular distribution of Thy-1 differentiation protein, a morpho-regulatory molecule associated with cell differentiation, and the presence of macrophages. Macrophages have been shown to stimulate steroidogenesis in granulosa cells in vitro, and they are required for release of Thy-1 differentiation protein from vascular pericytes among granulosa cells in vivo. Our results indicate that oocytes in resting follicles exhibit pRb in the nucleoli. During initiation of follicular growth, the pRb expression first extends over the oocyte nuclei and then diminishes from both nuclei and nucleoli in preantral follicles. When the oocytes reach maximum size in small antral follicles, the pRb expression is reestablished in oocyte nucleoli. In differentiating granulosa and theca cell layers of preantral and small antral follicles, pRb expression is high, but it is low in growing large antral follicles. During CL development and regression, pRb expression in the nuclei of granulosa lutein cells first increases and then decreases. Follicular development is accompanied by the presence of Thy-1 differentiation protein and macrophages under the follicular basement membrane. In growing large antral follicles, during the mid-follicular phase, larger macrophages exhibit physical contacts with granulosa cells through the follicular basement membrane, and, during the late follicular phase, small dendritic macrophages can be detected among granulosa cells, but not within the follicular antrum. Large antral follicles undergoing atresia exhibit strong pRb expression in granulosa cells. This is accompanied by a lack of Thy-1 differentiation protein among granulosa cells and the occurrence of large phagocytic macrophages in the follicular antrum. This is the first report of pRb expression in the human ovary.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed2003

The early stages of follicular development: activation of primordial follicles and growth of preantral follicles.

Although enormous progress has been made in understanding the events and regulation of the later stages of ovarian follicular development, the early stages of development, to a large extent and particularly in large mammals, remain a mystery. Mechanisms that regulate the initiation of follicular growth (follicle activation) and the ensuing growth and differentiation of preantral follicles are of considerable interest, since their elucidation is a prerequisite to use of the primordial pool to enhance reproductive efficiency in domestic animals, humans, and endangered species. This review is an attempt to summarize the approaches that have been taken to further this goal and the results thus far of these efforts. Preantral follicular development can be divided into three stages: activation of primordial follicles, the primary to secondary follicle transition, and the development of secondary follicles to the periantral stage. The activation of primordial follicles in vitro has been achieved thus far in rodents, cattle, and primates, where it occurs spontaneously without the addition of growth factors or hormones. The ovaries of rodents are small enough to be cultured intact and, in that experimental situation, some follicles activate, while many remain in the resting pool, and the addition of specific factors can increase or decrease the number of follicles that leave the resting pool in vitro. In contrast, follicular activation in cattle and primates has been studied by culturing small pieces of the ovarian cortex, rich in primordial follicles, and the great majority of the primordial follicles activate in that situation, suggesting the importance of inhibitory factors to the normal, gradual exit of follicles from the resting pool. In cultured rodent ovaries, follicles appear to pass easily and spontaneously from the primary to the secondary stage, whereas few of the activated follicles in cultured cortical pieces from cattle or primates progress from the primary to the secondary stage. Understanding the requirements for the primary to secondary transition is critical for growing follicles activated in vitro to the late preantral and antral stages. In contrast, the requirements for the continued growth of larger preantral follicles, which can be isolated for in vitro studies, have been extensively explored in rodents and to a lesser extent in domestic species. A number of hormones and factors have been implicated and will be discussed. Taken together, the results highlight the need for a better understanding of the earliest stages of follicular development in domestic ruminants, particularly follicle activation and the primary to secondary follicle transition.

Activins↗
PubMed1993

Changes in gap junction connexin-43 messenger ribonucleic acid levels associated with rat ovarian follicular development as demonstrated by in situ hybridization.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to evaluate the changes in gap junction connexin-43 messenger ribonucleic acid levels associated with rat ovarian follicular development. Gap junctions connect the plasma membranes of adjacent cells through cell-to-cell channels, allowing synchronization of cellular events, including ovarian follicular development. Ovarian gap junctions consist of the protein connexin-43. STUDY DESIGN: We used the hypophysectomized immature rat treated with estrogen or gonadotropins as a model to study the ovarian regulation of connexin-43 messenger ribonucleic acid. In situ hybridization with radiolabeled riboprobes was used to localize and quantitate connexin-43 messenger ribonucleic acid. RESULTS: We demonstrated that connexin-43 messenger ribonucleic acid was localized to follicular granulosa cells. Estrogen significantly up-regulated connexin-43 messenger ribonucleic acid (91%), whereas gonadotropins that stimulate ovulation and corpus luteum formation completely down-regulated the connexin-43 gene. These results correlate closely with previous immunohistochemical studies of connexin-43 protein. CONCLUSION: The positive correlation between follicular development and granulosa cell content of connexin-43 messenger ribonucleic acid is caused by transcriptional activation of the gap junction connexin-43 gene, posttranscriptional stability of connexin-43 messenger ribonucleic acid, or both. Future studies will determine the molecular mechanisms of hormonal regulation of the connexin-43 gene.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Regulation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 in hen granulosa cells by transforming growth factors at different stages of follicular development.

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is a key enzyme involved in the release of arachidonic acid and subsequent production of prostaglandins (PGs), which play important roles in regulating ovarian function, including mitogenic signalling by transforming growth factor (TGF) alpha. Cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2), a newly identified member of the PLA2 family, is distinct from the well-characterized, secreted 14-kDa group I and II PLA2 in that cPLA2 selectively cleaves arachidonic acid-containing phospholipids at the sn-2 position. Our previous studies have demonstrated that TGF alpha stimulates and TGF beta suppresses PG production in hen granulosa cells during ovarian follicular development. The present work extends these findings. A cPLA2 is present as a 100-kDa protein doublet and has a transcript size of 3.2 kilobases (kb) in hen granulosa cells from the largest (F1) and the fifth and sixth (F5-6) preovulatory follicles. Treatment of these cells with TGF alpha caused a shift from an electrophoretically fast-migrating to slow-migrating protein, a phenomenon sensitive to inhibitors of serine/threonine kinase as well as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways and indicative of phosphorylation and activation of cPLA2. In contrast, TGF beta suppressed cPLA2 expression, as evidenced by a marked decrease of cPLA2 mRNA abundance and protein content, but failed to prevent the mobility shift of cPLA2 induced by TGF alpha. Consistent with the influence of this growth factor on PG production observed previously and in contrast to the action of TGF alpha, the inhibition of cPLA2 by TGF beta is more pronounced in granulosa cells at the early stage of follicular development. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, the regulation of granulosa cell cPLA2 at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels at different stages of follicular development. We propose that the activation by TGF alpha and suppression by TGF beta of cPLA2 may be important regulatory mechanisms in the control of granulosa cell PG production and thereby the mitogenic response of the cells to the growth factors during ovarian follicular development.

Animals↗