title: Interplay between autophagy and apoptosis in the development of Danio rerio follicles and the effects of a probiotic.
abstract: The present study investigated autophagic processes in Danio rerio preovulatory follicles (Stage III and IV). There were more autophagosomes, as revealed by electron microscopy, in follicles from females fed the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501. This was confirmed by increased expression of genes involved in the autophagic process, namely ambra1, becn1, lc3 and uvrag. In addition, preovulatory follicles from females fed the probiotic contained more microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 isoform II (LC3-II) and less p62 protein. The increased autophagy in preovulatory follicles from females fed the probiotic was concomitant with a decrease in the apoptotic process in the ovary, as evidenced by terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end-labelling analysis and confirmed by lower expression of genes involved in apoptosis (i.e., p53, bax, apaf and cas3) and higher expression as igfII and igf1r. The results of the present study provide preliminary evidence of the involvement of autophagy during follicle development in the zebrafish ovary. In addition, we have demonstrated for the first time that a functional food, such as L. rhamnosus IMC 501, can modulate the balance between apoptosis and autophagy that regulates ovary physiology in zebrafish by inhibiting follicular apoptosis and improving follicular survival.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gioacchini
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dalla Valle
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benato
authors.forename: Gian Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fimia
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nardacci
authors.forename: Fabiola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciccosanti
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borini
authors.forename: Oliana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carnevali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D052201:Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus / Q000254:growth & development*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009866:Oogenesis; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019936:Probiotics; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014818:Vitellogenesis; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C511797:IGF1RA protein, zebrafish; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013002:Somatomedins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C542260:map1lc3b protein, zebrafish; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II