• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.7-12
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• 2018

In this review, we have tried to summarize the evidence and molecular characterization indicating that $20{\alpha}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase ($20{\alpha}$-HSD) is a group of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) family, and it plays roles in the modulation and regulation of steroid hormones. This enzyme plays a critical role in the regulation of luteal function in female mammals. We have studied the molecular expression and regulation of $20{\alpha}$-HSD in cows, pigs, deer, and monkeys. The specific antibody against bovine $20{\alpha}$-HSD was generated in a rabbit immunized with the purified recombinant protein. The mRNA expression levels increased gradually throughout the estrous cycle, the highest being in the corpus luteum (CL) 1 stage. The mRNA was also specifically detected in the placental and ovarian tissues during pregnancy. The $20{\alpha}$-HSD protein was intensively localized in the large luteal cells and placental cytotrophoblast villus, glandular epithelial cells of the endometrium, syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta, the isthmus cells of the oviduct, and the basal part of the primary chorionic villi and chorionic stem villus of the placenta and large luteal cells of the CL in many mammalian species. Further studies are needed to determine the functional significance of the $20{\alpha}$-HSD molecule during ovulation, pregnancy, and parturition. This article will review how fundamental information of these enzymes can be exploited for a better understanding of the reproductive organs during ovulation and pregnancy.

• 한국동물학회지
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.152-157
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• 1990

면역조직화학적 방법을 이용하여 생쥐 난소에서 $\beta$-endorphin이 생성되는 부위를 조사하기 위하여 본 실험을 행하였다. 성숙한 생쥐를 4% neutral buffered paraformaldehyde로 관류고정하였으며 난소를 적출한 후 cryostat로 절편을 만들어 avidin-biotin complex(ABC)를 이용하여 면역색을 하였다. $\beta$-endorphin에 대한 항체반응은 주로 황체에서 일어났으며, theac interna와 theca externa에서는 반응이 나타나지 않았다. 황체에서의 염색 양상은 퇴화가 많이 진행된 황체세포에서 보다 강한 연색반응을 관찰할 수 있었다. 때로 황체세포에서 유래된 것으로 보이는 간질세포에서도 양성반응을 관찰할 수 있었다. 이외에도 large antral follicle의 여포강에 인접한 과립세포에서 약한 반응을 보여주었으나, 제 1차 여포에서는 양성반응이 나타나지 않았다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.15-21
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• 2003

Objective : Clomiphene citrate is one of the most commonly used drugs in the treatment of infertility, but the pregnancy rate achieved with clomiphene citrate is significantly lower than the ovulation rate due to its antiestrogenic effect on the endometrium. Endometrial prolactin is considered to be a marker and an inducer of predecidualization that is characteristic of secretory endometrium. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of clomiphene citrate and unsatisfactory endometrial differentiation to secretory endometrium by examining the endometrial expression of prolactin in clomiphene citratetreated infertile women with luteal phase defect. Methods : The endometrial samples from infertile women with luteal phase defect (n=27) were examined. Five cases during secretory phase and six cases during proliferative phase were obtained by biopsy. Sixteen cases were obtained by biopsy during secretory phase after clomiphene citrate treatment. By immunohistochemical staining for prolactin, all obtained endometrial tissues were examined. The differences in the endometrial expression of prolactin were evaluated between proliferative phase and secretory phase, and between clomiphene citrate treated group and no treatment group during secretory phase. Results: The staining of endometrial prolactin was significantly more intense in the glandular epithelial cells and stromal cells in the secretory endometrium than in the proliferative endometrium. The glandular expression of prolactin in the secretory endometrium was not significantly different between the clomiphene citrate-treated group and no treatment group (p=0.719), but the staining of prolactin in the stromal cells was significantly less intense in the clomiphene citrate-treated group than no treatment group (p=0.019). Conclusion: In this investigation, we demonstrated that the endometrial stromal expression of prolactin in the secretory phase was significantly lower in the clomiphene citrate-treated group campared with no treatment group in infertile women with luteal phase defect. And our finding suggests that clomiphene citrate may have an adverse effect on the endometrial predecidualization in infertile women.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.263-270
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• 2010

Luteal cells produce progesterone that supports pregnancy. Steroidogenesis requires coordination of the anabolic and catabolic pathways of lipid metabolism. In the present study, the corpus luteum (CL) in early pregnancy established from luteal phase and pregnant phase was analyzed. The first study determined progesterone changes in the bovine CL at day 19 (early maternal recognition period) and day 90 in mid-pregnancy and compared them to the CL from day 12 of the estrous cycle. CL alternation was tested using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). Comparing CL from luteal phase to those from pregnant phase counterparts, significant changes in expression level were found in 23 proteins. Of these proteins 17 were not expressed in pregnant phase CL but expressed in luteal phase counterpart, whereas, the expression of the other 6 proteins was limited only in pregnant phase CL. Among these proteins, vimentin is considered to be involved in regulation of post-implantation development. In particular, vimentin may be used as marker for CL development during pregnancy because the expression level changed considerably in pregnant phase CL tissue compared with its luteal phase counterpart. Data from 2-DE suggest that protein expression was disorientated in mid pregnancy from luteal phase, but these changes was regulated with progression of pregnancy. These findings demonstrate CL development during mid-pregnancy from luteal phase and suggest that alternations of specific CL protein expression may be involved in maintenance of pregnancy.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.237-244
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• 2011

Ski protein is implicated in proliferation/differentiation in a variety of cells. We had previously reported that Ski protein is present in granulosa cells of atretic follicles, but not in preovulatory follicles, suggesting that Ski has a role in apoptosis of granulosa cells. The alternative fate of granulosa cells other than apoptosis is to differentiate to luteal cells, however, it is unknown whether Ski is expressed and has a role in granulosa cells undergoing luteinization. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine whether the initiation of luteinization with luteinizing hormone (LH) directly regulates expression of Ski in the luteinized granulosa and luteal cells after ovulation by in vitro models. RT-PCR and real time PCR analysis respectively revealed that LH had no effect on c-Ski mRNA expression in the cultured granulosa cells regardless of LH treatment. Though Ski protein is absent in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicle, its mRNA (c-Ski) was expressed and the level was unchanged even after LH surge. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Ski protein expression is induced in granulosa cells upon luteinization, and suggested that its expression is regulated post-transcriptionally. Moreover, expression of mRNA of Arkadia, an E3 ubiquitin ligases, in luteinizing granulosa cells in vivo was assessed by realtime-PCR. The levels of Arkadia mRNA expression were unchanged during follicular growth and postovulatory luteinization. These findings suggest that Ski protein level may be regulated during luteinization at translational and/or post-translational level but not by Arkadia.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.257-270
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• 1986

It has been reported that the luteal function may be regulated by the intracellular calcium in luteal cells (Higuchi et al, 1976; Dorflinger et at, 1984; Gore and Behrman, 1984) which is adjusted partially by $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ activities in luteal cell membranes (Verma and Pennistion, 1981). However, the physicochemical and kinetic properties of $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ in luteal membranes were not fully characterized. This study was, therefore, undertaken to partially characterize the physicochemical and kinetic properties of $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ system in luteal membranes and microsomal fractions, known as an one of the major $Ca^{++}$ storge sites (Moore and Pastan, 1978), from the highly luteinized ovary Highly luteinized ovaries were obtained from PMSG-hCG injected immautre female rats. Light membrane and heavy membrane fractions and microsomal fractions were prepared by the differential and discontinuous sucrose density gradient centrifugation method desribed by Bramley and Ryan (1980). Light membrane and heavy membrane fractions and microsomal fractions from highly luteinized ovaries are composed of the two different kinds of $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ system. One is the high affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ which is activated in low $Ca^{++}$ concentration (Km, 10-30 nM), the other is low affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ activated in higher $Ca^{++}$ concentration $(K_{1/2},\;40\;{\mu}M)$. At certain $Ca^{++}$ concentrations, activities of high and low affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ are the highest in light membrane fractions and are the lowest in microsomal fractions. It appeares that high affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ system have 2 binding sites for ATP (Hill's coefficient; around 2 in all membrane fractions measured) and the positive cooperativity of ATP bindings obviously existed in each membrane fractions. The optimum pH for high affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ activation is around S in all membrane fractions measured. The lipid phase transition temperature measured by Arrhenius plots of high affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ activity is around $25^{\circ}C$. The activation energies of high affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ below the transition temperature are similar in each membrane fractions, but at the above transition temperature, it is the hightest in heavy membrane fractions and the lowest in microsomal fractions. According to the above results, it is suggested that intracellular $Ca^{++}$ level, which may regulate the luteal function, may be adjusted primarily by the high affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ system activated in intracellular $Ca^{++}$ concentration range $(below\;0.1\;{\mu}M)$.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.360-369
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• 2019

Cadherin은 원형질막에 존재하며 세포-세포 결합에 관여하며, 황체 구조 유지에 필수적인 단백질이다. 본 연구에서는 prostaglandin F2 alpha ($PGF2{\alpha}$)가 황체의 협막세포(luteal theca cells, LTCs)의 E-cadherin, N-cadherin 및 세포-세포부착에 미치는 영향에 대해서 수행하였다. 황체세포는 소의 황체중기 조직으로부터 분리하였으며, 황체세포 중에서 mesenchymal 세포 형태학적 특성을 가지는 세포만을 분리하여 LTCs로 판단하였다. 이 후 steroidogenic 기능 및 혈관세포 유무를 판단하기 위해 $3{\beta}$-HSD 및 VEGF2R mRNA 발현을 확인하였으며, E-cadherin 및 N-cadherin mRNA를 사용하여 LTCs 내 cadherin의 존재여부를 판단하였다. 또한 0, $10^{-5}$, $10^{-4}$ 및 $10^{-3}M$ $PGF2{\alpha}$를 24시간 동안 처리하여 LTCs의 E- 및 N-cadherin 단백질을 관찰한 후 세포-세포 접착 실험을 실시하였다. 그 결과, LTCs에서 $3{\beta}$-HSD mRNA가 발현되었지만, VEGFR2 mRNA는 발현되지 않았으며, E-cadherin 및 N-cadherin mRNA 모두 발현되는 것을 확인하였다. 또한 E-및 N-cadherin 단백질은 $10^{-5}$, $10^{-4}$ 및 $10^{-3}M$ $PGF2{\alpha}$를 처리한 LTCs에서 응집되어 발현되는 것을 확인하였으며, $PGF2{\alpha}$에 의해 LTCs의 세포부착 효율이 유의적으로 감소된 것을 확인하였다. 결론적으로 $PGF2{\alpha}$는 LTCs의 E- 및 N-cadherin을 붕괴시켜 세포부착을 감소시켰고, 이러한 결과는 황체퇴행의 새로운 원인을 밝혀 내기 위한 cadherin과 세포부착의 역할을 이해하는데 중요한 자료로 활용될 것으로 판단된다.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.53-57
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• 2004

The study was carried out to investigate the effects of morphology, reproductive cycle, incubation time and activation of oocytes on in vitro maturation of cat oocytes and development of IVM/IVF embryos. The results were summarized as follows: 1. When recovered from ovaries collected at different stages of the reproductive cycle (inactive, follicular and luteal stage), the developmental rates of oocytes to GV and MI stage were 72.5% and 27.5%, 57.5% and 7.5%, 62.5% and 17.5%, respectively. 2. The developmental rates of oocytes with cumulus cells to GV and MI stage in different conditions of incubation (5% $CO_2$ , 95% $O_2$ and 10% $CO_2$, 90% $O_2$) were 70.0% and 27.5%, 52.5% and 20.0%, 55.0% and 12.5%, respectively. 3. The developmental rates to GV and MI oocytes when cultured at different time of incubation (17∼20, 21∼24, 25∼28 and 29∼32 h) were 67.5% and 20.0%, 67.5% and 30.0%, 62.5% and 22.5%, 65.0% and 15.0%, respectively. 4. The fertilization and cleavage rates of freshly collected oocytes with and without cumulus cells were 72.5% and 25.0%, 37.5% and 7.5%, respectively. The rates were greater in oocytes with cumulus cells than those without cumulus cells. 5. The fertilization and cleavage rates of oocytes recovered from ovaries collected at different stages of the reproductive cycle (inactive, follicular and luteal stage) were 75.0% and 25.0%, 40.0% and 7.5%, 50.0% and 15.0%, respectively.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.31-36
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• 2009

Centrobin/Nip2 was initially identified as a centrosome protein that is critical for centrosome duplication and spindle assembly. In the present study, we determined the expression and subcellular localization of centrobin in selected mouse tissues. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the centrobin-specific band of 100 kDa was detected in all tissues tested but most abundantly in the thymus, spleen and testis. In the testis, centrobin was localized at the centrosomes of spermatocytes and early round spermatids, but no specific signal was detected in late round spermatids and elongated spermatids. Our results also revealed that the centrosome duplication occurs at interphase of the second meiotic division of the mouse male germ cells. The centrobin protein was more abundant in the mitotically active ovarian follicular cells and thymic cortex cells than in non-proliferating corpus luteal cells and thymic medullary cells. The expression pattern of centrobin suggests that the biological functions of centrobin are related to cell proliferation. Consistent with the proposal, we observed reduction of the centrobin levels when NIH3T3 became quiescent in the serum-starved culture conditions. However, a residual amount of centrobin was also detected at the centrosomes of the resting cells, suggesting its role for maintaining integrity of the centrosome, especially of the daughter centriole in the cells.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.109-114
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• 2012

We prepared the polyclonal antibody anti-$20{\alpha}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (anti-$20{\alpha}$-HSD) against the recombinant full-length protein bovine $20{\alpha}$-HSD in Escherichia coli. The specificity of anti-$20{\alpha}$-HSD was demonstrated using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with recombinant bovine $20{\alpha}$-HSD and bovine placental tissues. According to western blot analysis, anti-$20{\alpha}$-HSD specifically recognizes the 37-kDa protein bovine $20{\alpha}$-HSD. The protein is not present in untransfected CHO cells. Anti-$20{\alpha}$-HSD also recognizes a specific protein in the ovaries and placenta of other animals. Immunostaining was used to detect expression of bovine $20{\alpha}$-HSD protein in the cultured luteal cells during the estrous cycle later.