Production and regulation of progesterone in bovine corpus luteum and placenta in mid and late gestation: a personal review.
In late pregnancy the secretory activity of the corpus luteum of the cow is markedly diminished. This reduced secretion is due to a decline in the number of viable luteal cells as well as reduction in the secretory activity and responsiveness of the cells to trophic agents. The principal extra-ovarian source of progesterone in late gestation appears to be the placenta, especially the fetal cotyledon, which was shown to produce progesterone throughout gestation. Uniquely, this progesterone biosynthesis is cyclic-nucleotide independent, but Ca2+ dependent. It therefore appears that the Ca2(+)-second messenger and protein kinase C systems are responsible for regulation of sterol biosynthesis in the cow placenta.
Department of Hormone Research, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel.
M
M
Shemesh
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D011374:Progesterone