Abstract
BackgroundAnti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is expressed by granulosa cells of developing follicles and plays an inhibiting role in the cyclic process of follicular recruitment by determining follicle-stimulating hormone threshold levels. Knowledge of AMH expression in the porcine ovary is important to understand the reproductive efficiency in female pigs.Research aimIn the present study we investigated the expression of AMH during follicular development in prepubertal and adult female pigs by immunohistochemistry, laser capture micro-dissection and RT-qPCR.Results and conclusionAlthough in many aspects the immunohistochemical localization of AMH in the porcine ovary does not differ from other species, there are also some striking differences. As in most species, AMH appears for the first time during porcine follicular development in the fusiform granulosa cells of recruited primordial follicles and continues to be present in granulosa cells up to the antral stage. By the time follicles reach the pre-ovulatory stage, AMH staining intensity increases significantly, and both protein and gene expression is not restricted to granulosa cells; theca cells now also express AMH. AMH continues to be expressed after ovulation in the luteal cells of the corpus luteum, a phenomenon unique to the porcine ovary. The physiological function of AMH in the corpus luteum is at present not clear. One can speculate that it may contribute to the regulation of the cyclic recruitment of small antral follicles. By avoiding premature exhaustion of the ovarian follicular reserve, AMH may contribute to optimization of reproductive performance in female pigs.
Highlights
Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is a dimeric protein and a member of the transforming growth factor B (TGFB) superfamily of glycoproteins
When primordial follicles were recruited into the pool of growing follicles, as shown by the presence of some cuboidal granulosa cells next to flat-shaped epithelial cells, AMH staining could be detected in the cells surrounding the oocyte (Fig 1A, Panel A in S1 Fig)
The present study describes the presence of AMH in the porcine ovary during follicular development
Summary
Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is a dimeric protein and a member of the transforming growth factor B (TGFB) superfamily of glycoproteins. More primordial follicles are recruited, and as a consequence, the primordial follicle pool rapidly decreases in size [9,10,11] In line with these results, exposure of neonatal mouse ovaries or human ovarian tissue biopsies to elevated levels of AMH leads to a significant reduction in the number of growing follicles [12,13]. These data suggest that AMH plays an inhibitory role in the recruitment of primordial follicles [12,14], avoiding premature exhaustion of the ovarian follicular reserve [15]. In the present study we investigated the expression of AMH during follicular development in prepubertal and adult female pigs by immunohistochemistry, laser capture micro-dissection and RT-qPCR
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