Physiological Mediation of Apoptosis During Avian Ovarian Follicle Atresia

9419613约翰逊 该提案描述了评估介导家鸡排卵前卵泡内正常细胞死亡（称为细胞凋亡或程序性细胞死亡的过程）的生理机制的研究。 虽然在大多数动物物种中，卵泡闭锁（无活力卵泡的死亡和吸收）发生在孵化（或出生）时卵巢内超过95%的卵泡中，但对卵泡细胞内与卵泡死亡开始相关的事件知之甚少。 约翰逊博士是第一个确定母鸡和哺乳动物的卵泡闭锁是通过细胞凋亡过程介导的，从而首次提供了一个早期终点，以促进研究因果关系。 在目前已知的与多种哺乳动物和鸟类组织中的细胞存活/细胞死亡相关的生理因素中，有bc 1 -2基因家族的成员（与先前在线虫秀丽隐杆线虫中表征的Ced基因相关的基因家族）。 这些基因在进化过程中高度保守的事实表明它们在维持细胞活力或诱导细胞死亡方面的功能的重要性。 因此，这些研究结果将有助于更好地理解非哺乳动物卵泡选择和生理性卵泡死亡的细胞和分子机制。 此外，这些数据应该更普遍地提供与脊椎动物物种所有组织中负责生理细胞死亡的调节和机制相关的信息。 ***

9419613 Johnson This proposal describes studies to evaluate physiological mechanisms that mediate normal cell death (a process called apoptosis or programmed cell death) within preovulatory ovarian follicles of the domestic chicken. Although in most animal species follicle atresia (the death and resorption of nonviable follicles) occurs in greater than 95% of ovarian follicles present within the ovary at the time of hatch (or birth), relatively little is known about events within follicle cells that are associated with the initiation of follicle death. Dr. Johnson was among the first to determine that ovarian follicle atresia in the hen, as well as in mammals, is mediated via the process of apoptosis thus providing for the first time an early endpoint to facilitate studying causative effects. Among the physiological factors now known to be associated with cell survival/cell death in a variety of mammalian and avian tissues are members of the bc1-2 gene family (a family of genes related to Ced genes previously characterized in the worm, Caenorhabditis elegans). The fact that these genes are so highly conserved during the process of evolution points to the importance of their function in maintaining cell viability or, alternatively, inducing cell death. Thus, results from the studies outlined will have implications for better understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms which regulate ovarian follicle selection and physiological follicle death in nonmammalian species. Moreover, the data should more generally provide information related to the regulation and mechanisms responsible for physiological cell death in all tissues from vertebrate species. ***