Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.
Epivara Inc., Department of Reproductive Sciences, Champaign, Illinois, USA.
Reproduction. 2022 Mar 5;163(4):R71-R80. doi: 10.1530/REP-21-0313.
Ovulation is the fundamental biological process during which an oocyte is expelled from the ovary, and it is an essential step toward establishing a pregnancy. Understanding regulatory mechanisms governing the ovulation process is essential for diagnosing and treating causes of infertility, identifying contraceptive targets, and developing novel contraception methods. Endothelin-2 (EDN2) is a 21 amino acid-long peptide that is transiently synthesized by granulosa cells of the ovulatory follicle prior to ovulation and plays an essential role in ovulation via promoting contraction in the myofibroblast cells of the theca layer of the follicle. This review describes the organization of the endothelin system, summarizes recent findings on the expression and synthesis of the endothelin system in the ovary, illustrates the roles that EDN2 plays in regulating ovulation, and discusses EDN2 as a potential target of contraception.
排卵是卵子从卵巢中排出的基本生物学过程，是建立妊娠的关键步骤。了解调控排卵过程的调节机制对于诊断和治疗不孕原因、确定避孕靶点以及开发新型避孕方法至关重要。内皮素-2（EDN2）是一种 21 个氨基酸长的肽，在排卵前由排卵卵泡的颗粒细胞短暂合成，通过促进卵泡膜的肌成纤维细胞收缩在排卵中发挥重要作用。本综述描述了内皮素系统的组织，总结了内皮素系统在卵巢中的表达和合成的最新发现，说明了 EDN2 在调节排卵中的作用，并讨论了 EDN2 作为避孕的潜在靶点。
