Dataset Information

P27kip1-dependent gene activity within pregranulosa cells implicates pathways relevant for control of primordial follicle activation in mice

ABSTRACT: The number of primordial follicles within the ovary, and their rate of activation, are critical parameters of the female reproductive lifespan. A finite number of primordial follicles are established during early ovarian development when individual oocytes are surrounded by a layer of somatic supporting pregranulosa cells. Primordial follicles remain quiescent until activated and their selective activation represents the definitive first step towards oocyte maturation and ovulation. Activation is characterised by oocyte and granulosa morphological changes. Activated granulosa cells resume proliferating, downregulating cell cycle inhibitor and transcriptional repressor Cdkn1b/p27kip1. Aside from a single wave of neonatal activation, primordial follicles activate cyclically to enter the pool of growing follicles. Mice lacking p27kip1 are infertile as all their primordial follicles activate during this neonatal wave of activation. Here, we utilise a p27kip1-null (Cdkn1b-/-) mouse line to functionally implicate a gene expression signature within the pregranulosa cells of primordial follicles undergoing activation. Using a combinatorial transcriptomic approach, we find pregranulosa cells undergoing follicle activation are characterised by the expression of several genes previously linked with mature granulosa cells as well several novel candidates: Tnni3, Slc18a2, Fam13a and Klf2. This study implicates pregranulosa cell transition as the key driver of primordial follicle activation and integrates cell-cycle regulator p27kip1 within the molecular mechanism driving pregranulosa cell transition.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE246098 | GEO | 2026/04/01

REPOSITORIES: GEO

ACCESS DATA

Dataset's files

Source:

			Action	DRS
		Other

Items per page:

1 - 1 of 1

Similar Datasets

Project description:Primordial follicle assembly is a process that occurs in the embryonic or early post natal ovary in which oocyte nests break down to form individual primordial follicles. The size of this initial pool of primordial follicles in part determines the reproductive lifespan of the female. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) was identified as a potential regulatory candidate for this process in a previous microarray analysis of follicle development. The current study examines the effects of CTGF and associated transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFbeta-1) on follicle assembly. Ovaries were removed from newborn rat pups and placed in an organ culture system for two days to measure the effect of these factors on follicle assembly. In addition, ovaries were cultured and treated for ten days to determine the potential of CTGF and TGFbeta-1 to manipulate the primordial follicle pool size over a longer developmental time period. The ovaries treated with CTGF for two days were found to have an increased proportion of assembled follicles. TGFbeta-1 had no effect on primordial follicle assembly and in combination with CTGF decreased oocyte number in the ovary after two days of culture. Over ten days of treatment only the combined treatment of CTGF and TGFbeta-1 was found to cause an increase in the proportion of assembled follicles. Interestingly, treatment with TGFbeta-1 alone resulted in fewer total oocytes in the ovary and decreased the primordial follicle pool size after ten days of culture. Observations indicate that CTGF alone or in combination with TGFbeta-1 stimulates primordial follicle assembly and TGFbeta-1 can decrease the primordial follicle pool size. CTGF was found to regulate the ovarian transcriptome during primordial follicle assembly and an integrative network of genes was identified. CTGF is one of the first growth factors shown to promote primordial follicle assembly, while TGFbeta-1 is one of the first factors shown to decrease the primordial follicle pool size. These observations suggest the possibility of manipulating primordial follicle pool size and influencing female reproductive lifespan. We used microarrays to determine genes expressed differentially between control and CTGF (connective tissue growth factor) treated P0 ovary RNA samples from 3 control groups are compared to 3 CTGF treated ovary groups

Dataset Information

P27kip1-dependent gene activity within pregranulosa cells implicates pathways relevant for control of primordial follicle activation in mice

Dataset's files

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets