Higher expression of hyaluronan binding protein 1 (HABP1/p32/gC1qR/SF2) during follicular development and cumulus oocyte complex maturation in rat

Co-transplantation of Human Ovarian Tissue with Engineered Endothelial Cells: A Cell-based Strategy Combining Accelerated Perfusion with Direct Paracrine Delivery

Infertility is a frequent side effect of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy and for some patients, cryopreservation of oocytes or embryos is not an option. As an alternative, an increasing number of these patients are choosing to cryopreserve ovarian tissue for autograft following recovery and remission. Despite improvements in outcomes among patients undergoing auto-transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue, efficient revascularization of grafted tissue remains a major obstacle. To mitigate ischemia and thus improve outcomes in patients undergoing auto-transplantation, we developed a vascular cell-based strategy for accelerating perfusion of ovarian tissue. We describe a method for co-transplantation of exogenous endothelial cells (ExECs) with cryopreserved ovarian tissue in a mouse xenograft model. We extend this approach to employ ExECs that have been engineered to constitutively express Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), thus enabling sustained paracrine signaling input to ovarian grafts. Co-transplantation with ExECs increased follicular volume and improved antral follicle development, and AMH-expressing ExECs promoted retention of quiescent primordial follicles. This combined strategy may be a useful tool for mitigating ischemia and modulating follicular activation in the context of fertility preservation and/or infertility at large.

Multi-functional, multicompartmental hyaluronan-binding protein 1 (HABP1/p32/gC1qR): implication in cancer progression and metastasis

Cancer is a complex, multi-factorial, multi-stage disease and a global threat to human health. Early detection of nature and stage of cancer is highly crucial for disease management. Recent studies have proved beyond any doubt about the involvement of the ubiquitous, myriad ligand binding, multi-functional human protein, hyaluronan-binding protein 1 (HABP1), which is identical to the splicing factor associated protein (p32) and the receptor of the globular head of the complement component (gC1qR) in tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis. Simultaneously three laboratories have discovered and named this protein separately as mentioned. Subsequently, different scientists have worked on the distinct functions in cellular processes ranging from immunological response, splicing mechanism, sperm-oocyte interactions, cell cycle regulation to cancer and have concentrated in their respective area of interest, referring it as either p32 or gC1qR or HABP1. HABP1 overexpression has been reported in almost all the tissue-specific forms of cancer and correlated with stage and poor prognosis in patients. In order to tackle this deadly disease and for therapeutic intervention, it is imperative to focus on all the regulatory aspects of this protein. Hence, this work is an attempt to combine an assortment of information on this protein to have an overview, which suggests its use as a diagnostic marker for cancer. The knowledge might assist in the designing of drugs for therapeutic intervention of HABP1/p32/gC1qR regulated specific ligand mediated pathways in cancer.

Engineered endothelium provides angiogenic and paracrine stimulus to grafted human ovarian tissue

Despite major advances in tissue cryopreservation and auto-transplantation, reperfusion ischemia and hypoxia have been reported as major obstacles to successful recovery of the follicular pool within grafted ovarian tissue. We demonstrate a benefit to follicular survival and function in human ovarian tissue that is co-transplanted with exogenous endothelial cells (ExEC). ExECs were capable of forming functionally perfused vessels at the host/graft interface and increased both viability and follicular volume in ExEC-assisted grafts with resumption of antral follicle development in long-term grafts. ExECs that were engineered to constitutively express anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) induced a greater proportion of quiescent primordial follicles than control ExECs, indicating suppression of premature mobilization that has been noted in the context of ovarian tissue transplantation. These findings present a cell-based strategy that combines accelerated perfusion with direct paracrine delivery of a bioactive payload to transplanted ovarian tissue.

Identification of PCSK9 as a novel serum biomarker for the prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects using iTRAQ quantitative proteomics

To identify candidate serum molecule biomarkers for the non-invasive early prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects (NTDs), we employed an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic approach to analyze the proteomic changes in serum samples from embryonic day (E) 11 and E13 pregnant rats with spina bifida aperta (SBA) induced by all-trans retinoic acid. Among the 390 proteins identified, 40 proteins at E11 and 26 proteins at E13 displayed significant differential expression in the SBA groups. We confirmed 5 candidate proteins by ELISA. We observed the space-time expression changes of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) at different stages of fetal development, including a marked decrease in the sera of NTD pregnancies and gradual increase in the sera of normal pregnancies with embryonic development. PCSK9 demonstrated the diagnostic efficacy of potential NTD biomarkers [with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.763, 95% CI: 065-0.88]. Additionally, PCSK9 expression in the spinal cords and placentas of SBA rat fetuses was markedly decreased. PCSK9 could serve as a novel molecular biomarker for the non-invasive prenatal screening of NTDs and may be involved in the pathogenesis of NTDs at critical periods of fetal development.

The relationship between Evi-1 expression and mouse ovarian follicular development

The ecotropic viral integration site-1 (Evi-1) is a transcription factor with two sets of zinc finger domains. It is an important regulator of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily. In the present study, we investigated the spatiotemporal expression patterns of Evi-1 using immunohistochemistry in ovaries from neonatal mice, gonadotropin-induced immature mice and mice in estrous cycle. Positive staining for Evi-1 was detected in the cytoplasm of oocytes. In postnatal mice, a high level of Evi-1 immunostaining was found from day 1 to 6, an intermediate level from day 10 to 16 and a low level on day 23. After gonadotropin treatment, Evi-1 was mainly expressed in small follicles and exhibited a very low level in large antral follicles. During the estrous cycle, the expression of Evi-1 was higher in diestrus and estrus than in proestrus and metestrus. Real-time PCR was performed to examine the relationship between Evi-1 mRNA and ovulation related genes (Ptgs2, Tnfaip6, Has2, Cd44, C1qbp). At 4 h after hCG treatment, Evi-1 mRNA was down-regulated whereas ovulation related genes were up-regulated. Overall, the results indicate that Evi-1 is expressed in a stage-specific manner during ovarian follicular development and may be involved in early follicle development.

Relationship between Sloan-Kettering virus expression and mouse follicular development

Sloan-Kettering virus gene product (Ski) is an unique nuclear pro-oncoprotein and belongs to the ski/sno proto-oncogene family. Ski plays multiple roles in a variety of cell types, it can induce both oncogenic transformation and terminal muscle differentiation when expressed at high levels. Ski/SnoN are important transcription regulators of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily and function mainly through heterodimers. Since TGF-β superfamily are key regulators of follicle development and it has been previously shown that SnoN is also vital to follicle development, this research was conducted to clarify the relationship between Ski expression and mouse follicular development, in ovaries of neonatal and gonadotropin-induced immature mice by immunohistochemical and real-time PCR techniques. In postnatal mice, positive staining for Ski was highly detected in oocyte nuclei at postnatal day 1. With follicular development, the localization moved gradually from oocyte nuclei to perinuclear space and the total levels decreased. During the estrous cycle, Ski expression was apparent at proestrus and estrus, faint at metestrus, highest at diestrus. After injection of gonadotropin, Ski was found in perinuclear space and weak in oocyte nuclei. Following the initiation of luteinization, the expression of Ski was found in corpus luteum. Real-time PCR results also showed that Ski mRNA expression was opposite to ovulation-related genes during the cumulus expansion, with the development of the follicles, its expression level decreased. Ski is expressed in a specific manner during follicle development, ovulation and luteinization. So Ski might play essential roles in these processes especially during early follicular development.

Liver receptor homolog 1 is essential for ovulation

Female fertility requires normal ovarian follicular growth and ovulation. The nuclear receptor liver receptor homolog 1 has been implicated in processes as diverse as bile acid metabolism, steroidogenesis, and cell proliferation. In the ovary, Lrh1 is expressed exclusively in granulosa and luteal cells. Using somatic targeted mutagenesis, we show that mice lacking Lrh1 in granulosa cells are sterile, due to anovulation. The preovulatory stimulus fails to elicit cumulus expansion, luteinization, and follicular rupture in these mice. Multiple defects, including severely reduced transactivation of the Lrh1 target gene, nitric oxide synthase 3, leads to increased intrafollicular estradiol levels in the absence of Lrh1. This further causes dysfunction of prostaglandin and hyaluronic acid cascades and interrupts cumulus expansion. Lack of Lrh1 also interferes with progesterone synthesis because of failure of normal expression of the Lrh1 targets, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage. In addition, expression of extracellular matrix proteases essential for ovulation is compromised. These results demonstrate that Lrh1 is a regulator of multiple mechanisms essential for maturation of ovarian follicles and for ovulation. Lrh1 is therefore a key modulator of female fertility and a potential target for contraception.