Abstract
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secreted by adenohypophyseal cells plays an important role in the regulation of reproduction, but whether microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the secretion of FSH remains unclear. In the present study, we predicted and screened miRNAs that might act on the follicle-stimulating hormone beta-subunit (FSHb) gene of rats using the TargetScan program and luciferase reporter assays, and the results identified two miRNAs, miR-21-3p and miR-433. We then transfected these miRNAs into rat anterior adenohypophyseal cells and assessed the FSHb expression levels in and FSH secretion by the transfected cells through quantitative PCR and ELISA. The results showed that both miR-21-3p and miR-433 down-regulated the expression levels of FSHb and resulted in the decrease of the secretion of FSH compared with the control group, and treatment with miR-21-3p and miR-433 inhibitors up-regulated the expression levels of FSHb and resulted in the increase of the secretion of FSH. Taken together, our results indicate that miR-21-3p and miR-433 can down-regulate the expression of FSHb by directly targeting the FSHb 3′UTR in rat primary pituitary cells. Our findings provide evidence that miRNAs can regulate FSHb expression and further affect the secretion of FSH and might contribute to the use of miRNAs for the regulation of animal reproduction.
Highlights
The pituitary, which is the most important endocrine organ in animals, functions as a main regulator of numerous physiological processes through its control of downstream endocrine glands [1]
We predicted and screened miRNAs that might act on the follicle-stimulating hormone beta-subunit (FSHb) gene of rats using the TargetScan program and luciferase reporter assays, and the results identified two miRNAs, miR-21-3p and miR-433
The results showed that both miR-21-3p and miR-433 down-regulated the expression levels of FSHb and resulted in the decrease of the secretion of Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) compared with the control group, and treatment with miR-21-3p and miR-433 inhibitors up-regulated the expression levels of FSHb and resulted in the increase of the secretion of FSH
Summary
The pituitary, which is the most important endocrine organ in animals, functions as a main regulator of numerous physiological processes through its control of downstream endocrine glands [1]. Seven types of hormones secreted from the pituitary play important roles in the regulation of organismal activities [2]. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), one of the gonadotropin hormones (GTH), is a pivotal regulator of reproduction [3]. FSH regulates the production of several growth factors that play a vital role in early folliculogenesis and animal reproduction [4,5,6]. FSH binds to the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) located on Sertoli cells of the testis and granulosa cells of the ovaries to transmit its signal and exert its functions [8]. Lower expression levels of gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) can stimulate maximal production of FSH [9], and at the transcriptional level, FSH secretion is mainly regulated by the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) signaling pathway [10]. The genetic linkage of novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within bovine FSHb can influence the serum FSH concentrations [11]
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