Integrated Analysis of Transcriptome and Histone Modifications in Granulosa Cells During Ovulation in Female Mice

Abstract The ovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge induces rapid changes of gene expression and cellular functions in granulosa cells (GCs) undergoing luteinization. However, it remains unclear how the genome-wide are regulated. H3K4me3 histone modifications involved alteration expression. In this study, we investigated transcriptome status mouse GCs were obtained from mice treated with equine chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) before, 4 hours, 12 hours after human injection. RNA-sequencing identified a number upregulated downregulated genes, which could be classified into 8 patterns according to time-course Many genes transiently or at hCG stimulation. Gene Ontology terms associated these included steroidogenesis, ovulation, cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) expansion, angiogenesis, immune system, reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, inflammatory response, autophagy. DNA repair cell growth newly as being activated during ovulation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation–sequencing revealed change Integration data many H3K4me3-associated that COC ROS lipid glucose autophagy, regulation size. present results suggest LH GCs, enables acquire lot within short time required for ovulation