Juengel Jennifer L, Heath Derek A, Quirke Laurel D, McNatty Kenneth P
AgResearch, Wallaceville Animal Research Centre, Ward Street, PO Box 40063, Upper Hutt, New Zealand.
Reproduction. 2006 Jan;131(1):81-92. doi: 10.1530/rep.1.00704.
A first step to elucidating the roles that steroids may play in the processes of ovarian development and early follicular growth is to identify the cell types that are likely to be receptive to steroids. Thus, cell types expressing receptors for oestrogen (alpha and beta form; ERalpha and ERbeta respectively), androgen (AR) and progesterone (PR) were determined by in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry in ovine ovarian tissues collected during ovarian development and follicular formation (days 26-75 of fetal life) as well as during the early stages of follicular growth. Expression of ERbeta was observed early during ovarian development and continued to be expressed throughout follicular formation and also during the early stages of follicular growth. ERbeta was identified in germ cells as well as in the granulosa cells. At the large preantral stage of follicular growth, expression of ERalpha was also consistently observed in granulosa cells. AR was first consistently observed at day 55 of fetal life in stroma cells throughout the ovary. Within the follicle, expression was observed in granulosa and thecal cells from the type-2 to -3 stage of follicular growth. PR mRNA did not appear to be expressed during ovarian development (days 26-75 of gestation). However, PR (mRNA and protein) was observed in the theca of type-3 (small preantral) and larger follicles, with mRNA -- but not protein -- observed in granulosa cells of some type-4 and 5 follicles. Expression of ERbeta, ERalpha and AR, as well as PR, was also observed in the surface epithelium and ovarian stroma of the fetal, neonatal and adult ovary. Thus, in sheep, steroid hormones have the potential to regulate the function of a number of different ovarian cell types during development, follicular formation and early follicular growth.
阐明类固醇在卵巢发育和早期卵泡生长过程中可能发挥的作用的第一步，是确定可能对类固醇有反应的细胞类型。因此，通过原位杂交和免疫组织化学，在卵巢发育和卵泡形成期间（胎儿期第26 - 75天）以及卵泡生长早期收集的绵羊卵巢组织中，确定了表达雌激素受体（α和β形式；分别为ERα和ERβ）、雄激素受体（AR）和孕激素受体（PR）的细胞类型。在卵巢发育早期就观察到ERβ的表达，并在整个卵泡形成过程以及卵泡生长早期持续表达。在生殖细胞和颗粒细胞中都发现了ERβ。在卵泡生长的大的窦前阶段，在颗粒细胞中也始终观察到ERα的表达。AR最早在胎儿期第55天在整个卵巢的基质细胞中持续被观察到。在卵泡内，从卵泡生长的2型到3型阶段，在颗粒细胞和膜细胞中观察到表达。在卵巢发育期间（妊娠第26 - 75天），PR mRNA似乎没有表达。然而，在3型（小窦前）及更大卵泡的膜中观察到PR（mRNA和蛋白质），在一些4型和5型卵泡的颗粒细胞中观察到mRNA，但未观察到蛋白质。在胎儿、新生儿和成年卵巢的表面上皮和卵巢基质中也观察到ERβ、ERα、AR以及PR的表达。因此，在绵羊中，类固醇激素在发育、卵泡形成和卵泡生长早期有潜力调节多种不同卵巢细胞类型的功能。
