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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #58162
Title: CHANGES IN AMOUNTS OF DIFFERENT MOLECULAR WEIGHT FORMS OF THE INHIBIN ALPHASUBUNIT IN ATRETIC AND NON-ATRETIC FOLLICLES DURING FOLLICLE MATURATION IN PIGS

Author
item Guthrie, Howard
item IRELAND, J - EAST LANSING, MI
item GOOD, T - EAST LANSING, MI
item IRELAND, J - EAST LANSING, MI

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Follicular fluid (FF) and granulosa cells (GC) were collected from 34 follicles of 11 pigs on d 1, 3, 5, and 7 of altrenogest-synchronized follicular maturation. FF proteins were fractionated on 12% SDS-PAGE gels under non-reducing conditions. Inhibin or inhibin alpha subunits were detected by immunoblot analysis. Apoptotic (AO) GC contained sub-diploid amounts of DNA as determined by flow cytometry. Atretic follicles (AF) contained >/=10% AO GC and non-atretic follicles (NAF) contained <10%. The MW (kDa) forms of inhibin or inhibin subunits and percentage (mean+/-SEM) of each form in porcine FF were: 27 (1.3+/-.3), 29 (1.2+/-.3), 32 (.6+/- .2), 44 (5.6+/-1), 49 (4.0+/-.4), 58 (4.2+/-.5), 69 (16.0+/-.8), 121 (32.8+/-2.4), 227 (14.1+/-.4), and >227 (20.2+/-1.1). Eighty-three % of inhibin or inhibin alpha subunit MW forms were >58 kDa. Mean total amount of inhibin or subunit was 2.4-fold less (P<.05) in AF than in NAF. Total amount of inhibin or alpha subunit decreased as %AO GC increased (r= -.512 P=.0023). Mean amounts of 44, 49, 69, 121 and 227 kDa forms were 2- to 5- fold less (P<.05) in AF than NAF. Total amount of inhibin or inhibin subunit in FF of AF and NAF did not differ significantly among days. However, in NAF, amount and percentage of the 44 kDa form increased (P<.05) 10-fold between d 1 and d 7 of follicle maturation. In contrast, the percentage of the most abundant form, 121 kDa, was 2.3-fold less (P<.05) on d 7 than on other days. In conclusion, production and intracellular processing of inhibin and(or) inhibin subunits change substantially during follicular atresia and luteinization.