Effects of downregulation of inhibin alpha gene expression on apoptosis and proliferation of goose granulosa cells.
Inhibin alpha is one of the candidate genes that control the ovulation in poultry. To study the genetic effects of inhibin alpha on apoptosis and proliferation of goose granulosa cells cultured in vitro, two RNA interference (RNAi) expression vectors, psiRNA-INH alpha 1 and psiRNA-INH alpha 2, were constructed to knock down inhibin alpha gene expression. After 48 h of transfection, the efficiency of these two RNAi expression vectors was examined by fluorescence microscopy. Meanwhile, inhibin protein expression levels, apoptosis indexes (AI) and proliferation indexes (PI) of granulosa cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. In addition, the supernatants were collected to assay the concentrations of estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P) by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that the expression level of inhibin alpha in the RNAi group were decreased 30%-40% than those in the control groups (P < 0.05) and the apoptosis indexes and proliferation indexes in the RNAi groups were significantly higher than those in the control groups (P < 0.05). However, the E2 concentrations in the RNAi groups were lower than those in the control groups (P < 0.05). These results indicate that inhibin alpha has antagonistic effect on granulosa cell apoptosis.
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005777:Geese / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007265:Inhibins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D010058:Oviposition / Q000235:genetics; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference
D004967:Estrogens; C094377:inhibin-alpha subunit; D011374:Progesterone; D007265:Inhibins