[The expression of proto-oncogene c-erbB₂ and its role in the initiation of primordial follicle growth in rat ovary].
Little is known about the factors that control the initiation of growth of primordial follicles. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of c-erbB₂ on the onset of primordial follicle development, and whether c-erbB₂ mediates the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in this process. We synthesized three pairs of siRNAs targeting the c-erbB₂ mRNA and transferred them into the newborn rat ovary cultured in vitro with Metafectene. After siRNAs transfection, the efficiency of siRNAs was tested by examining c-erbB₂ mRNA and protein levels. The level of c-erbB₂ mRNA was reduced by 49.6%, 46.7% and 82.6% respectively after transfecting siRNA1, siRNA2 and siRNA3, and the level of ErbB₂ protein also reduced remarkably after siRNA3 transfection. c-erbB₂ siRNA3 significantly inhibited the primordial follicle initiation and development; EGF augmented primordial follicles formation, but the effect was abolished by c-erbB₂ siRNA3. All of these results suggest that c-erbB₂ plays an important role in primordial follicle development and folliculogenesis initiation, and mediates the effect of EGF on primordial follicle development.
Xu
Liang-Quan
LQ
Department of Physiology Reproduction, Nanchang University Medical College, China.
Xu
Ai-Xia
AX
Huang
Jian
J
Chen
Wei-Yun
WY
Zheng
Yue-Hui
YH
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000254:growth & development*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D051381:Rats; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*
D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C483804:Erbb2 protein, rat