Ovarian follicular atresia in all vertebrates is mediated via apoptosis that is initiated in the granulosa cell layer. Here we investigated the relation between connexin expression, cell coupling, and apoptosis in avian granulosa cells. Results from qualitative and quantitative immunocytochemical analysis and Western blotting of connexin43 (Cx43) and electron microscopic observations of gap jun...

The granulosa follicle cell of the Graafian follicle of the rabbit ovary differentiates into a lutein cell involved in steroid synthesis. Cytological events which occur within the granulosa cell of the normally stimulated follicle prior to ovulation have been duplicated by the intrafollicular injection of exogenous gonadotrophin. The luteinization of the granulosa cells involves the accumulatio...

An increasing number of studies suggest that ornithine decarboxylase antizyme 1 (OAZ1), which is regarded as a tumor suppressor gene, regulates follicular development, ovulation, and steroidogenesis. The granulosa cells in the ovary play a critical role in these ovarian functions. However, the action of OAZ1 mediating physiological functions of granulosa cells is obscure. OAZ1 knockdown in gran...

The involvement of FSH and triiodothyronine (T(3)) in circadian clocks was investigated using immature granulosa cells of ovaries during the progress of cell maturation. Granulosa cells were prepared from preantral follicles of mouse Period2 (Per2)-dLuc reporter gene transgenic rats injected subcutaneously with the synthetic nonsteroidal estrogen diethylstilbestrol. Analysis of the cellular clo...

Prohibitin (Phb1) is a highly conserved mitochondrial protein that is associated with granulosa cell differentiation, atresia, and luteolysis. Although prohibitin has been implicated in the suppression of apoptosis in mammalian cells, its specific role in programmed cell death in granulosa cells is unknown. In the present study, we examined the role of prohibitin in mediating staurosporine (STS...

Follicular atresia is characterized by a rapid loss of granulosa cells and, to a lesser extent, theca cells, via apoptosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of theca cell secretions in the regulation of apoptosis of rabbit granulosa cells. The annexin-V binding method based on externalization of phosphatidylserine to the outer layer of plasma membrane during apo...

BACKGROUND Granulosa cell tumors are rare ovarian malignancies. Their characteristics include unpredictable indolent growth with malignant potential and late recurrence. Approximately 95% are of adult type. Recent molecular studies have characterized the FOXL2 402C > G mutation in adult granulosa cell tumor. Our previous case report showed that unique FOXL2 402C > G mutation and defective DNA m...

Follicular development is associated with both proliferation and differentiation of granulosa cells under the control of FSH. We show that regulation of genes involved in cellular proliferation by FSH can be functionally separated from the regulation of genes involved in granulosa cell differentiation by synergistic actions of activin and T. Incubation of undifferentiated rat granulosa cells wi...

In mouse ovaries, liver receptor homolog-1 [nuclear receptor subfamily 5, group A, member 2 (Nr5a2)] expression is restricted to granulosa cells. Mice with Nr5a2 depletion in this cell population fail to ovulate. To determine whether Nr5a2 is essential for granulosa cell proliferation during follicular maturation, we generated granulosa-specific conditional knockout mice (genotype Nr5a2 floxed ...

The cross-talk between oocyte and somatic cells plays a crucial role in the regulation of follicular development and oocyte maturation. As a result, granulosa cell apoptosis causes follicular atresia. In this study, sheep granulosa cells were cultured under thermal stress to induce apoptosis, and melatonin (MT) was examined to evaluate its potential effects on heat-induced granulosa cell injury...