Regulation mechanisms of germinal cell selection in mammals and its artificial control

在哺乳动物的卵巢中，99%以上的卵泡在卵泡发育的不同阶段都会经历被称为闭锁的退行性变化。我们对卵泡闭锁的研究揭示了闭锁卵泡的形态学和生化特征。我们最近的研究结果表明，哺乳动物卵巢闭锁卵泡的变性可以解释，至少部分是由颗粒细胞和内膜细胞的凋亡死亡。我们证实了猪卵巢闭锁卵泡的颗粒细胞发生凋亡，而不是积云细胞。细胞凋亡是多种刺激作用的结果，通过多种信号转导途径最终导致内切酶的激活。参与颗粒细胞凋亡的凋亡刺激和细胞内信号转导途径仍有待确定。因此，了解触发内切酶激活的事件对于阐明细胞凋亡的上游途径至关重要。我们制备的单克隆抗体可以识别颗粒细胞的细胞表面抗原（一种新的细胞死亡受体）并诱导培养的颗粒细胞凋亡。这些抗体，尤其是诱导培养颗粒细胞凋亡的PFG-1抗体，是研究猪肺闭滤泡颗粒细胞凋亡细胞内通路的良好探针。

In mammalian ovaries, more than 99% of the follicles undergo the degenerative change known as atresia at varying stages of follicle development. our studies of follicular atresia have revealed the morphological and biochemical characteristics of atretic follicles. our recent findings have suggested that the degeneration of atretic follicles in mammalian ovaries can be explained, at least in part, by apoptotic death of granulosa and theca interna cells. we confirmed that apoptosis occurs in granulosa cells but not cumulus cells in the atretic graafian follicles from porcine ovaries. apoptosis is the result of many stimuli that act through many signal transduction pathways culminating in the activation of endonucleases. Apoptotic stimuli and intracellular signal ransduction pathways involved in granulosa cell apoptosis remain to be determined. Therefore, understanding of the events that trigger activation of the endonucleases is essential to elucidate the pathways upstream of apoptosis. we produced monoclonal antibodies that recognize cell-surface antigens (a novel cell-death receptor) of granulosa cells and induce apoptosis of cultured granulosa cells. Such antibodies, especially PFG-1 that induces apoptosis of cultured granulosa cells, are good probes for studying the intracellular pathways of granulosa cell apoptosis in porcine atretio follicles.