title: Expression of the tissue kallikrein-kinin cascade in granulosa cells of the ovary.
abstract: The serine protease, tissue kininogenase (kallikrein), belongs to a unique family of enzymes that cleaves the decapeptide, kallidin, from the endogenous substrate kininogen. By analysis of genealogy patterns rat KLK gene family members have been detected in ovarian luteinizing granulosa cells of both gonadotrophin-treated and non-treated control rats. Recently, we demonstrated that tissue kininogenase showed intense immunolabeling in angiogenic endothelial cells isolated from bovine mature and regressing corpora lutea. Therefore, the question to answer was whether granulosa cells associated with ovarian vascularization possess the same capacity to express the kallikrein-kinin cascade as do microvascular endothelial cells. As a first step, experiments were designed to determine the expression and visualization of tissue kininogenase (both active and pro forms) as well as kininogen and kinin receptors in granulosa cells of different developmental stages and segments of the ovarian follicle by immunoperoxidase assay, confocal fluorescent microscopy and in situ hybridization.
authors.affiliation: Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Institut für Veterinär-Anatomie, Koserstr. 20, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plendl
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Snyman
authors.forename: Kanti D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Bhoola
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D007705:Kinins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D043783:Receptor, Bradykinin B1; D043782:Receptor, Bradykinin B2; D018002:Receptors, Bradykinin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007705:Kinins; D043783:Receptor, Bradykinin B1; D043782:Receptor, Bradykinin B2; D018002:Receptors, Bradykinin; D007610:Kallikreins