Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: In female mammals, proper oocyte development is a vital prerequisite for future gamete viability and fertility. This development of oocytes, known as oogenesis, begins with the migration of primordial germ cells to the genital ridge of the early embryo, where multiple rounds of mitotic division occur without complete cytokinesis. The result is temporary cyst morphology. Cyst breakdown is a crucial process in the next developmental stage, resulting in formation of the single oocytes which will grow in follicles surrounded by granulosa cells and eventually develop into eggs. These aspects of embryogenesis are conserved across multiple species, including Drosophila, mice, and humans. Extensive research has already been completed to elucidate the mechanisms through which the steroid hormone estrogen regulates these developmental processes. Some research shows that progesterone, among other steroid hormones, also plays a role in inhibiting cyst breakdown and disrupting proper follicular assembly. However, specific types of progesterone receptors (PRs) and the signaling pathways they mediate have not yet been studied in the fetal stages of ovarian development. Here, the expression of specific PRs has been investigated and assessed via immunocytochemistry. The functional characterization of each individual progesterone receptor using organ culture is now in early stages of investigation. The experimental results confirm the presence of four different types of PRs: PR-A and PR-B, PAQR3, PGRMC1, and PGRMC2. Each receptor type shows evidence of expression at different stages of development as well as localization to different cell types within the ovary. Elucidating the detailed signaling pathways pertaining to each receptor requires additional investigation.
Author: Marta N. Dzyadyk
Language: English
Subfield: Reproductive Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Syracuse University
OpenAlex ID: W198675357