Toward building the cow folliculome

Review: The putative role of Progesterone Receptor membrane Component 1 in bovine oocyte development and competence

Acquisition of developmental competence is a complex process in which many cell types cooperate to support oocyte maturation, fertilisation, and preimplantation embryonic development. In recent years, compelling evidence has shown that Progesterone Receptor Membra Component 1 (PGRMC1) is expressed in many cell types of the mammalian reproductive system where it exerts diverse functions. In the ovary, PGRMC1 affects follicular growth by controlling cell viability and proliferation of granulosa cells. PGRMC1 has also a direct role in promoting a proper completion of bovine oocyte maturation, as altering its function leads to defective chromosome segregation and polar body extrusion. Strikingly, the mechanism by which PGRMC1 controls mitotic and meiotic cell division seems to be conserved, involving an association with the spindle apparatus and the chromosomal passenger complex through Aurora kinase B. Conclusive data on a possible role of PGRMC1 in the preimplantation embryo are lacking and further research is needed to test whether the mechanisms that are set in place in mitotic cells also govern blastomere cleavage and subsequent differentiation. Finally, PGRMC1 is also expressed in oviductal cells and, as such, it might also impact fertilisation and early embryonic development, although this issue is completely unexplored. However, the study of PGRMC1 function in the mammalian reproductive system remains a complex matter, due to its pleiotropic function.

Bovine models for human ovarian diseases

During early embryonic development, late fetal growth, puberty, adult reproductive years, and advanced aging, bovine and human ovaries closely share molecular pathways and hormonal signaling mechanisms. Other similarities between these species include the size of ovaries, length of gestation, ovarian follicular and luteal dynamics, and pathophysiology of ovarian diseases. As an economically important agriculture species, cattle are a foundational species in fertility research with decades of groundwork using physiologic, genetic, and therapeutic experimental techniques. Many technologies used in modern reproductive medicine, such as ovulation induction using hormonal therapy, were first used in cows before human trials. Human ovarian diseases with naturally occurring bovine correlates include premature ovary insufficiency (POI), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and sex-cord stromal tumors (SCSTs). This article presents an overview of bovine ovary research related to causes of infertility, ovarian diseases, diagnostics, and therapeutics, emphasizing where the bovine model can offer advantages over other lab animals for translational applications.

Differentially expressed genes and gene networks involved in pig ovarian follicular atresia

Ovarian folliculogenesis corresponds to the development of follicles leading to either ovulation or degeneration, this latter process being called atresia. Even if atresia involves apoptosis, its mechanism is not well understood. The objective of this study was to analyze global gene expression in pig granulosa cells of ovarian follicles during atresia. The transcriptome analysis was performed on a 9,216 cDNA microarray to identify gene networks and candidate genes involved in pig ovarian follicular atresia. We found 1,684 significantly regulated genes to be differentially regulated between small healthy follicles and small atretic follicles. Among them, 287 genes had a fold-change higher than two between the two follicle groups. Eleven genes ( DKK3, GADD45A, CAMTA2, CCDC80, DAPK2, ECSIT, MSMB, NUPR1, RUNX2, SAMD4A, and ZNF628) having a fold-change higher than five between groups could likely serve as markers of follicular atresia. Moreover, automatic confrontation of deregulated genes with literature data highlighted 93 genes as regulatory candidates of pig granulosa cell atresia. Among these genes known to be inhibitors of apoptosis, stimulators of apoptosis, or tumor suppressors INHBB, HNF4, CLU, different interleukins ( IL5, IL24), TNF-associated receptor ( TNFR1), and cytochrome-c oxidase ( COX) were suggested as playing an important role in porcine atresia. The present study also enlists key upstream regulators in follicle atresia based on our results and on a literature review. The novel gene candidates and gene networks identified in the current study lead to a better understanding of the molecular regulation of ovarian follicular atresia.

Transcriptome meta-analysis of three follicular compartments and its correlation with ovarian follicle maturity and oocyte developmental competence in cows

Oocyte developmental competence in superstimulated cows is dependent in part on the duration of the FSH coasting. FSH coasting refers to superstimulation with FSH (2 days of endogenous FSH following follicle ablation and 3 days of FSH injections) followed by no FSH for a specific duration. The optimal duration varies among individuals. FSH coasting appears to modulate the transcriptome of different follicular compartments, which cooperate as a single functional unit. However, the integrative effects of FSH coasting on different follicular compartments remain ambiguous. Meta-analysis of three independent transcriptome studies, each focused on a single cell type (granulosa, cumulus, and oocyte) during FSH coasting, allowed the identification of 12 gene clusters with similar time-course expression patterns in all three compartments. Network analysis identified HNF4A (involved in metabolic functions) and ELAVL1 (an RNA-binding protein) as hub genes regulated respectively upward and downward in the clusters enriched at the optimal coasting time, and APP (involved in mitochondrial functions) and COPS5 (a member of the COP9 signalosome) as hub genes regulated respectively upwards and downwards in the clusters enriched progressively throughout the coasting period. We confirmed the effects on HNF4A downstream targets (TTR, PPL) and other hub genes (ELAVL1, APP, MYC, and PGR) in 30 cows with RT-quantitative PCR. The correlation of hub gene expression levels with FSH coasting indicated that a combination of these genes could predict oocyte competence with 83% sensitivity, suggesting that they are potential biomarkers of follicle differentiation. These findings could be used to optimize FSH coasting on an individual basis.

Meta-analysis of gene expression profiles in granulosa cells during folliculogenesis

Folliculogenesis involves coordinated profound changes in different follicular compartments and significant modifications of their gene expression patterns, particularly in granulosa cells. Huge datasets have accumulated from the analyses of granulosa cell transcriptomic signatures in predefined physiological contexts using different technological platforms. However, no comprehensive overview of folliculogenesis is available. This would require integration of datasets from numerous individual studies. A prerequisite for such integration would be the use of comparable platforms and experimental conditions. The EmbryoGENE program was created to study bovine granulosa cell transcriptomics under different physiological conditions using the same platform. Based on the data thus generated so far, we present here an interactive web interface called GranulosaIMAGE (Integrative Meta-Analysis of Gene Expression), which provides dynamic expression profiles of any gene of interest and all isoforms thereof in granulosa cells at different stages of folliculogenesis. GranulosaIMAGE features two kinds of expression profiles: gene expression kinetics during bovine folliculogenesis from small (6 mm) to pre-ovulatory follicles under different hormonal and physiological conditions and expression profiles of granulosa cells of dominant follicles from post-partum cows in different metabolic states. This article provides selected examples of expression patterns along with suggestions for users to access and generate their own patterns using GranulosaIMAGE. The possibility of analysing gene expression dynamics during the late stages of folliculogenesis in a mono-ovulatory species such as bovine should provide a new and enriched perspective on ovarian physiology.