title: Microarray analysis identifies COMP as the most differentially regulated transcript throughout in vitro follicle growth.
abstract: In vitro follicle growth has emerged as a technology that can provide new information about folliculogenesis and serve as part of a suite of methods currently under development to assist women whose fertility is threatened by cancer treatments. Though it has been shown that in vitro-grown follicles secrete peptide and steroid hormones, much of the follicular transcriptome remains unknown. Thus, microarray analysis was performed to characterize the transcriptome and secretome of in vitro-grown follicles. One prominently regulated gene product was cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (Comp): its mRNA was upregulated during the final 4 days of culture (P < 0.05) and COMP protein could be detected in medium from individual follicles. COMP expression localized to mural granulosa cells of large antral follicles both in vitro and in vivo, with maximal expression immediately preceding ovulation in cycling and chorionic gonadotropin-primed female mice. COMP was co-expressed with two known markers of follicle maturation, inhibin β(A) and gremlin, and was expressed only in TUNEL-negative follicles. In addition to other gene products identified in the microarray, COMP has potential utility as a marker of follicle maturation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Skory
authors.forename: Beatriz Peñalver
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Bernabé
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galdones
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Broadbelt
authors.forename: Lonnie D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Shea
authors.forename: Teresa K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Woodruff
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016207:Cytokines; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits / Q000378:metabolism; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; D051379:Mice; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; C113178:Grem1 protein, mouse; C577540:Matn1 protein, mouse; C103008:inhibin beta A subunit