Project description:C. Stötzel, J. Plöntzke, W. Heuwieser & S. Röblitz. Advances in modeling of the bovine estrous cycle: synchronization with PGF2α. Theriogenology 78, 7 (2012).
Our model of the bovine estrous cycle is a set of ordinary differential equations which generates hormone profiles of successive estrous cycles with several follicular waves per cycle. It describes the growth and decay of the follicles and the corpus luteum, as well as the change of the key reproductive hormones, enzymes and processes over time. In this work we describe recent developments of this model towards the administration of prostaglandin F2α. We validate our model by showing that the simulations agree with observations from synchronization studies and with measured progesterone data after single dose administrations of synthetic prostaglandin F2α.
Project description:Despite much investigation, mechanisms conferring stage specific responsiveness of the corpus luteum (CL) to prostaglandin F2 (PG) are unknown. The objective of this study was to identify PG- induced changes in transcriptome of bovine CL specific to d 11 ( PG responsive) but not d 4 (PG refractory) CL associated with luteolysis. CL were collected from heifers at 0, 4 and 24 h following PG injection on d 4 and 11 of the estrous cycle (n = 5 animals/treatment) and isolated RNA labeled and hybridized to Affymetrix GeneChip Bovine Genome Arrays. At 4 and 24 h post PG respectively, 221 (d 4) and 661 (d 11) and 248 (d 4) and 1419 (d 11) regulated genes were identified.
Project description:Despite much investigation, mechanisms conferring stage specific responsiveness of the corpus luteum (CL) to prostaglandin F2 (PG) are unknown. The objective of this study was to identify PG- induced changes in transcriptome of bovine CL specific to d 11 ( PG responsive) but not d 4 (PG refractory) CL associated with luteolysis. CL were collected from heifers at 0, 4 and 24 h following PG injection on d 4 and 11 of the estrous cycle (n = 5 animals/treatment) and isolated RNA labeled and hybridized to Affymetrix GeneChip Bovine Genome Arrays. At 4 and 24 h post PG respectively, 221 (d 4) and 661 (d 11) and 248 (d 4) and 1419 (d 11) regulated genes were identified. Thirty Angus crossbred heifers were assigned to one of six treatments (n = 5 per treatment) in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangment, using a completely random design.Corpora lutea were collected at 0 (control), 4 or 24 h following injection of saline (control) or PG on d 4 or d 11 of the estrous cycle. Total RNA was isolated from luteal tissue. The isolated RNA was labeled and hybridized to Affymetrix GeneChip Bovine Genome Arrays.
Project description:In ruminants, prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2α)-mediated luteolysis is essential for resumption of the estrous cycle and is a target for improving fertility. To deduce the early PGF2α-provoked signaling elicited in the corpus luteum a time-course from 0.5–4 h was performed on cows at mid-cycle. A microarray-determined transcriptome was established and analyzed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Self-organizing map analysis grouped differentially expressed transcripts into ten mRNA expression patterns indicative of signaling cascades. Classic PGF2α signaling (cyclic adenosine monophosphate, mitogen-activated protein kinases) and cytokine signaling (nuclear factor κB, interleukin) were both predicted by IPA after PGF2α administration. Comparison with two analogous datasets revealed a conserved group of 124 transcripts similarly changed in each dataset, which also predicted cytokine signaling. Elevated levels of cytokine transcripts after PGF2α and IPA-predicted activation of cytokine pathways demonstrate the importance of inflammatory reactions early in PGF2α -mediated luteolysis.
Project description:The corpus luteum plays a critical role in reproduction because it is the primary source of circulating progesterone. This study aimed to determine the in vitro effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) ligands on the transcriptome genes expression in the porcine corpus luteum in the mid- and late-luteal phase of the estrous cycle using RNA-seq technology. The corpus luteum slices were incubated in vitro in the presence of PPARγ agonist – pioglitazone and antagonist—T0070907. We identified 40 differentially expressed genes after pioglitazone treatment and 40 after T0070907 treatment in the mid-luteal phase as well as 26 after pioglitazone and 29 after T0070907 treatment in late-luteal phase of the estrous cycle. In addition, we detected differences in genes expression between the mid- and late-luteal phase without treatment (409). These results should become a basis for further studies explaining the mechanism of PPARγ action in the reproductive system in pigs.
Project description:The corpus luteum (CL) is essential for maintenance of pregnancy in all mammals and luteal rescue, which occurs around day 16-19 in the cow, is necessary to maintain luteal progesterone production. Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling were performed to compare the day 17 bovine CL of the estrous cycle and pregnancy. Among mRNA and proteins measured, 140 differentially abundant mRNA and 24 differentially abundant proteins were identified. Pathway analysis was performed using four programs. Modulated pathways included T cell receptor signaling, vascular stability, cytokine signaling, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Two mRNA that were less in pregnancy were regulated by prostaglandin (PG) F2A in culture, while two mRNA that were greater in pregnancy were regulated by interferon tau (IFNT). To identify mRNA that could be critical regulators of luteal fate, the mRNA that were differentially abundant during early pregnancy were compared to mRNA that were differentially abundant during luteal regression. Eight mRNA were common to both datasets, including mRNA related to regulation of steroidogenesis and gene transcription. A subset of differentially abundant mRNA and proteins, including those associated with extracellular matrix functions, were predicted targets of differentially abundant microRNA (miRNA). Integration of miRNA and protein data, using miRPath, revealed pathways such as extracellular matrix-receptor interactions, abundance of glutathione, and cellular metabolism and energy balance. Overall, this study has provided a comprehensive profile of molecular changes in the corpus luteum during maternal recognition of pregnancy and has indicated that some of these functions may be miRNA-regulated.
Project description:Ovine interferon-tau (IFNT) is released from the conceptus by Day 12 of pregnancy and disrupts pulsatile release of endometrial prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF), thereby protecting the corpus luteum (CL). IFNT may also have endocrine action through inducing interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) in the CL. The hypothesis that gene expression differs in CL collected from pregnant (P) and non-pregnant (NP) ewes by Day 14 due to the lytic action of PGF during the estrous cycle or the presence of a conceptus was tested. RNA was isolated on Days 12 and 14 in NP or P ewes (n = 3 ewes/group) and analyzed using the Affymetrix bovine microarray (24,000 targets). Differential gene expression (>1.5 fold, P < 0.05) was confirmed using semi-quantitative real time PCR (RTPCR). Serum progesterone concentrations decreased (P < 0.05) from 1.7 ng/ml on Day 12 to 1.3 ng/ml by Day 14 in NP ewes suggesting initiation of luteolysis; and remained > 1.7 ng/ml in Day 12 and 14 P ewes indicating that the conceptus protected the CL from luteolysis. Early luteolysis from Day 12 to 14 NP was associated with differential expression of 683 genes, including SERPINE1 and THBS1. Presence of a conceptus from Day 12 to 14 also induced expression of 743 genes, i.e., ISGs (ISG15, MX1), PTX3, and IL-6 and stabilized expression of VEGF and LHR genes. In conclusion, pregnancy circumvents luteolytic pathways, and activates or stabilizes genes associated with interferon, chemokine, cell adhesion, cytoskeletal, angiogenic and epithelial to mesynchymal transition pathways in the CL. There are 12 samples that were analyzed for the microarray, no duplicates and we increased the sample size to 50 for the RTPCR. This Series contains the Affymetrix array data only (not RT-PCR data).
Project description:Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2alpha) brings about regression of the bovine corpus luteum (CL). This luteolytic property of PGF2alpha is used in the beef and dairy cattle to synchronize estrus. A limitation of this protocol is an insensitivity of the early CL to luteolytic actions of PGF2alpha. The mechanisms underlying luteal sensitivity (LS) are poorly understood. The early CL has maximum number of PGF2alpha receptors; therefore differences in signaling events might be responsible for LS. Hence differential gene expression at two developmental stages, days 4 (D-4) and 10 (D-10) post estrus, might account for differences in signal transduction pathways associated with LS. This possibility was examined in these studies. Microarray analysis (n=3 per stage) identified 167 genes that were differentially expressed (p<0.05). These were categorized into genes involved in cell signaling, steroidogenesis and metabolism, protein degradation, transcription regulation and DNA biosynthesis, protein biosynthesis and modification, extracellular matrix and cytoskeletal proteins, antioxidant property, miscellaneous, and unknown functions. Real-time PCR confirmed the differential expression of 9 randomly selected genes, including protein kinase C inhibitor protein-1 (KCIP-1) and regulator of G-protein signaling 2 (RGS2), observed in microarray. Further, the in vivo effect of exogenous PGF2ï¡ (n=3 per stage) on selected genes that were found differentially expressed during this developmental transition was examined. PGF2alpha increased the expression of a guanine nucleotide binding protein beta polypeptide 1 (GNB1) in D-4 CL and Ca2+/calmodulin dependent kinase kinase 2 beta (Camkk2) in D-10 CL. Therefore, GNB1, Camkk2, KCIP-1, and RGS2 are candidate genes that might play significant role in acquisition of luteal sensitivity to PGF2alpha. Keywords: Direct comparison between Day-4 and Day-10 CL, Developmental type comparision The present experiment made a direct comparision of gene expression in early (Day-4) vs mid-phase CL (Day-10). Each experiment contained two technical relicates per slide. Total of three biological replicates were used ( 3 animals for Day-4 and 3 animals for Day-10). Two Day-4 samples were labelled Cy5 and one Day-10 with Cy5. Two Day-10 samples were labelled with Cy3 and one Day-4 with Cy3. The Day-4 sample was control for our experiments.