Regulation of transcripts encoding ADAMTS-1 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin-like motifs-1) and progesterone receptor by human chorionic gonadotropin in equine preovulatory follicles.
One member of a new family of metalloproteinases, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin-like motifs-1 (ADAMTS-1), has been found to be expressed and hormonally induced in granulosa cells of ovulating rodent follicles. Furthermore, the targeted disruption of the ADAMTS-1 gene resulted in ovarian defects associated with severely impaired fertility. While these data demonstrate the importance of ADAMTS-1 in rodent ovarian physiology, the potential role of ADAMTS-1 in the ovulatory process of monoovulatory species remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to clone the equine ADAMTS-1 primary transcript and to study its regulation during human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-induced ovulation. A 3573 bp follicular cDNA library clone was isolated and found to encode a nearly complete, highly conserved ADAMTS-1 homologue. Real-time RT-PCR analysis detected this transcript in diverse tIssues, including previously unreported sites of ADAMTS-1 expression such as the male reproductive tract, the follicular theca interna and the mature corpus luteum. The tIssue distribution of the progesterone receptor (PR), a known regulator of ADAMTS-1 expression in rodent preovulatory follicles, was found to overlap that of ADAMTS-1 in some tIssues. A study of the regulation of follicular ADAMTS-1 and PR mRNAs during the hCG-induced ovulatory process revealed distinct patterns of regulation in granulosa cells and in theca interna. In granulosa cells, ADAMTS-1 mRNA was found to be induced at 12 h post-hCG (P<0.05), followed by a return to basal levels by 30 h and a re-increase at 33-39 h (P<0.05). A concomitant increase in PR mRNA (P<0.05) was observed at 12 h post-hCG. In theca interna, abundant ADAMTS-1 mRNA was detected at all timepoints, and levels increased transiently at 33 h post-hCG (P<0.05), whereas no significant change was observed in PR mRNA. Together, these data demonstrate for the first time the hormonally regulated ovarian expression of ADAMTS-1 in a monoovulatory species, and identify a novel biphasic regulation of ADAMTS-1 in granulosa cells and a regulated expression in theca interna that were not previously observed in rodents.
Boerboom
D
D
Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, CP 5000, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 7C6.
Russell
D L
DL
Richards
J S
JS
Sirois
J
J
D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000071097:ADAMTS1 Protein; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism; D019483:Disintegrins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D015723:Gene Library; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010060:Ovulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013799:Theca Cells / Q000378:metabolism
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D019483:Disintegrins; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000071097:ADAMTS1 Protein; C103859:ADAMTS1 protein, human; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases