Abstract
Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1) is associated with animal reproductive processes, such as follicular growth, ovulation, luteinization, and embryo development in mammals. The purposes of this study were to explore the expression and localization of TIMP1 in the ovarian tissues and determine the effect of TIMP1 on the function of granulosa cells and the association of TIMP1 with lambing-related genes of the goats. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that TIMP1 protein was strongly expressed by granulosa cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results showed that TIMP1 overexpression promoted the secretion of estradiol of granulosa cells after 12, 24, and 48 h of transfection. Moreover, in vitro experiments indicated that TIMP1 had the ability to promote the cell proliferation and elevate the transcriptional levels of four genes associated with goat prolificacy, including BMPR-1B, BMP15, GDF9, and FSHB, in granulosa cells. In conclusion, TIMP1 could be an important molecule in regulating reproductive performance of the goats by affecting estrogen secretion and cell proliferation, as well as the expression of lambing-related genes of granulosa cells in the goats.
Highlights
The reproductive performance is an important trait that affects the economic benefits of the goat industry
The results showed that Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1) was overexpressed in granulosa cells with brown colors, indicating that TIMP1 had a specific physiological role in ovarian granulosa cells
The results showed that the BMPR-1B mRNA abundance in the TIMP1 overexpression group was substantially higher than that in the blank control group (P
Summary
The reproductive performance is an important trait that affects the economic benefits of the goat industry. As a crucial organ in the reproductive system of female mammals, the ovary directly mediates the growth and maturation of oocytes. The ovary mainly regulates the growth and development of follicle on its cortex, directly affecting lambing performance (Cui et al, 2009). Follicles mainly rely on ovarian granulosa cells to provide nutrition and connect with oocytes to carry out information transmission. The recruitment and development of follicles, maturation and ovulation of oocytes, embryo formation, and other activities are key factors affecting reproductive traits (Anhamparuthy et al, 2009). The proliferation and differentiation of granulosa cells play a crucial role in various ovarian functions, and complex autocrine and paracrine regulatory mechanisms are involved (Lu et al, 2005).
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