Johnson M L, Redmer D A, Reynolds L P, Grazul-Bilska A T
Cell Biology Center, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58105, USA.
Endocrine. 1999 Feb;10(1):43-51. doi: 10.1385/ENDO:10:1:43.
Detection of connexin (Cx) proteins has been used as an indicator of the presence of structural and functional gap junctions in tissues. To examine the role of gap junctions during follicular growth and atresia, the presence of three major connexins, Cx43, Cx32, and Cx26, was evaluated in bovine ovaries by using immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblot analysis. Cx43 was not present in primordial follicles, but was present in granulosa cells of primary/secondary and antral follicles. Cx43 also was present on the borders between granulosa cells and the oocyte. Expression of Cx43 increased in healthy developing antral follicles, but decreased during follicular atresia. Cx32 was not present in healthy follicles but was present in granulosa cells of atretic antral, and especially small antral follicles. Cx26 was present in the oocyte of primordial and primary/secondary follicles, and in the granulosa and/or thecal cell layers of healthy antral follicles. The percentage of healthy antral follicles that expressed Cx26 also increased during follicular development, but decreased during atresia. Cx32 and Cx26 also were detected in ovarian blood vessels and in stromal tissues adjacent to the tunica albuginea in some ovaries. The pattern of expression of these Cx indicates that gap junctional proteins may be involved in the control of follicular growth and atresia in cows.
连接蛋白（Cx）的检测已被用作组织中结构和功能缝隙连接存在的指标。为了研究缝隙连接在卵泡生长和闭锁过程中的作用，通过免疫组织化学和蛋白质免疫印迹分析评估了牛卵巢中三种主要连接蛋白Cx43、Cx32和Cx26的存在情况。Cx43在原始卵泡中不存在，但在初级/次级卵泡和窦状卵泡的颗粒细胞中存在。Cx43也存在于颗粒细胞与卵母细胞之间的边界处。Cx43的表达在健康发育的窦状卵泡中增加，但在卵泡闭锁过程中减少。Cx32在健康卵泡中不存在，但在闭锁窦状卵泡，尤其是小窦状卵泡的颗粒细胞中存在。Cx26存在于原始卵泡和初级/次级卵泡的卵母细胞中，以及健康窦状卵泡的颗粒层和/或卵泡膜细胞层中。在卵泡发育过程中，表达Cx26的健康窦状卵泡的百分比也增加，但在闭锁过程中减少。在一些卵巢的卵巢血管和白膜附近的基质组织中也检测到了Cx32和Cx26。这些Cx的表达模式表明，缝隙连接蛋白可能参与了奶牛卵泡生长和闭锁的调控。
