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Reduced fertility and inability of oocytes to resume meiosis in mice deficient of the Lxr genes
- Source :
- Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 256:9-16
- Publication Year :
- 2006
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2006.
-
Abstract
- Cholesterol precursors act as activators of the nuclear hormone receptor, liver X receptor (LXR). One of these LXR-activating ligands is meiosis activating sterol (MAS), which also induces resumption of meiosis in oocytes from mice in vitro. Whether LXR participates in the regulation of oocyte maturation and whether the expression of either one of the two paralogues of LXR (alpha and beta) affect fertility of mice has, however, not yet been clarified. Female mice lacking Lxra, Lxrb or both genes (Lxra(-/-), Lxrb(-/-) and Lxrab(-/-), respectively) conceive less frequently and have significantly fewer pups per litter as compared to wild type mice. Both Lxra and Lxrb mRNA were found to be expressed in mouse oocytes. The relative expression of, in particular, Lxrb was almost two orders of magnitude higher than in liver, brain and testis. A water-soluble LXR agonist caused naked oocytes, but not cumulus enclosed oocytes (CEO), from wild type mice to resume meiosis significantly more often than control oocytes. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is a potent stimulator of meiosis in CEO from wild type mice, but was without effect in mice lacking both Lxr genes. Zymosterol, a MAS active substance, induced resumption of meiosis in oocytes from Lxrab(-/-) mice, but significantly less effectively than in oocytes from wild type mice. Taken together, LXRs seem to affect ovarian function, suggesting specific roles of cholesterol precursors in regulation of female reproduction.
- Subjects :
- Male
Zymosterol
medicine.medical_specialty
Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear
Alpha (ethology)
Biology
Biochemistry
Mice
chemistry.chemical_compound
Follicle-stimulating hormone
Endocrinology
Ovarian Follicle
Meiosis
Internal medicine
medicine
Animals
RNA, Messenger
Liver X receptor
Receptor
Molecular Biology
Liver X Receptors
Mice, Knockout
Orphan Nuclear Receptors
Oocyte
DNA-Binding Proteins
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Cholesterol
Fertility
medicine.anatomical_structure
chemistry
Nuclear receptor
Oocytes
Female
lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins)
Follicle Stimulating Hormone
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 03037207
- Volume :
- 256
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a8176b60c5775bd34e61a51cea952c4b