Substance P (SP) is implicated in stress regulation and affective and anxiety-related behavior. Particularly high expression has been found in the main output region of the amygdala complex, the central amygdala (CE). Here we investigated the cellular mechanisms of SP in CE in vitro, taking advantage of glutamic acid decarboxylase-green fluorescent protein (GAD67-GFP) knockin mice that yield a ...

The genes for cellobiose utilization are normally cryptic in Escherichia coli. The cellobiose system was used as a model to understand the process by which silent genes are maintained in microbial populations. Previously reported was (1) the isolation of a mutant strain that expresses the cellobiose-utilization (Cel) genes and (2) that expression of those genes allows utilization of three beta-...

Granulosa cells support the developing oocytes and serve as transducers of the ovulatory stimulus induced by LH surge. Fyn kinase is expressed in granulosa cells, though its role in these cells has not been studied. In human embryonic kidney 293T cells, microRNA (miR)-125a-3p down-regulates Fyn expression, causing a decrease in cells' migratory ability. Our aim was to explore the role of miR-12...

The gap junction proteins connexin37 and connexin43 are required for ovarian folliculogenesis in the mouse. To define their respective roles in oogenesis, chimeric ovaries containing either null mutant oocytes and wild-type granulosa cells or the reverse combination were grafted to the renal capsules of immunodeficient female mice. After three weeks, the oocytes were tested for meiotic competen...

In humans and canines, the morphology of granulosa cell tumors is extremely variable and causes diagnostic difficulties. In human pathology, immunohistochemistry has been widely used for the diagnosis of granulosa cell tumors, whereas, limited studies are present in canine species. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of cytokeratins, vimentin, and inhibin-alpha in canine nor...

Granulosa cell death is an early feature of atresia; however, there are many apparent contradictions in the literature concerning the mode of granulosa cell death. We have therefore examined this process in bovine healthy and atretic antral follicles, using a variety of established techniques. Light and electron microscopic observations indicated the presence of pyknotic or shrunken nuclei in b...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in follicular development and survival. Granulosa cell death is associated with increased ROS, but the mechanism of granulosa cell death induced by ROS is not clear. In order to define the molecular link between ROS and granulosa cell death, COV434, human granulosa tumor cells, were treated with H2O2. Compared to control cells, H2O2 induced gra...

OBJECTIVE Adrenomedullin (AM) has diverse functions and is expressed in a variety of tissues. This study was conducted to investigate the expression of AM in the human ovary and its effect on progesterone production by human granulosa lutein cells. DESIGN AND METHODS Follicular fluid and blood samples were obtained at the time of oocyte retrieval from patients undergoing in vitro-fertilizatio...

Ovarian granulosa cells are coupled via gap junctions containing connexin43 (Cx43 or alpha-1 connexin). In the absence of Cx43, granulosa cells stop growing in an early preantral stage. However, the fact that granulosa cells of mature follicles express multiple connexins complicated interpretation of this finding. The present experiments were designed to clarify the role of Cx43 vs. these other...