title: Comparison of cadherin and integrin localization in bovine cystic and healthy follicles.
abstract: As stage progresses in the cystic follicle, granulosa cells are lost. We hypothesized that the granulosa and theca interna layers are detached in association with weakened expression of cell adhesion molecules such as cadherin (cell-cell adhesion) and integrin (cell-extracellular matrix adhesion) in cystic follicles. To elucidate this hypothesis, we immunolocalized these molecules in the granulosa and theca interna and compared them between cystic and small healthy follicles. Sections were immunostained with cadherin and integrin β1 antibodies and their localizations were compared. Cadherin-positive reaction was seen in the cytoplasma of all granulosa cells. No increase in the frequency of cadherin-positive area in the granulosa layers and the intensity of cadherin immunoreaction in the theca interna was detected in cystic follicles compared with healthy ones. A dense immunoreaction product of integrin β1 was detected in the theca interna in both cystic and healthy follicles. Intensity of integrin β1 -immuno reaction in the granulosa layers and integrin β1 -positive area in the theca interna was significantly lower in the cystic follicle than in the healthy follicles. These results suggest that granulosa and theca interna cells are detached while maintaining the cell-cell adhesion, resulting in the consequent loss of these layers from the cystic follicle.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murayama
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Yukinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Isobe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005497:Follicular Cyst / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016023:Integrins / Q000032:analysis*; D013799:Theca Cells / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D016023:Integrins