title: FSH stimulates the expression of the ADAMTS-16 protease in mature human ovarian follicles.
abstract: We report the characterization of full-length human ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs)-16, a novel member of the disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (hence ADAMTS) family. ADAMTS-16 is highly expressed both in the kidney and in the ovary, where it is predominantly expressed in the parietal granulosa cells of pre-ovulatory follicles but only slightly expressed in cells of the cumulus oophorus. In fully differentiated luteinizing granulosa cells, follicle-stimulating hormone and forskolin induces expression of ADAMTS-16, suggesting that it is regulated via the cAMP pathway. Luteinizing hormone had a minor effect on the expression of ADAMTS-16. ADAMTS-16 is capable of cleaving alpha2-macroglobulin (MG), a common substrate for proteases, which is present at high concentrations in the follicular fluid of ovarian follicles. These studies provide the first evidence that ADAMTS-16 is an active protease and suggest a physiological role of ADAMTS-16 in ovarian follicles, at least during the pre-ovulatory phase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Women's Hospital, University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Shuping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Geyter
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kossowska
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071096:ADAMTS Proteins; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005576:Colforsin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000071096:ADAMTS Proteins; C510098:ADAMTS16 protein, human