One member of a new family of metalloproteinases, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin-like motifs-1 (ADAMTS-1), has been found to be expressed and hormonally induced in granulosa cells of ovulating rodent follicles. Furthermore, the targeted disruption of the ADAMTS-1 gene resulted in ovarian defects associated with severely impaired fertility. While these data demonstrate the importance of ADAMTS-1 in rodent ovarian physiology, the potential role of ADAMTS-1 in the ovulatory process of monoovulatory species remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to clone the equine ADAMTS-1 primary transcript and to study its regulation during human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-induced ovulation. A 3573 bp follicular cDNA library clone was isolated and found to encode a nearly complete, highly conserved ADAMTS-1 homologue. Real-time RT-PCR analysis detected this transcript in diverse tIssues, including previously unreported sites of ADAMTS-1 expression such as the male reproductive tract, the follicular theca interna and the mature corpus luteum. The tIssue distribution of the progesterone receptor (PR), a known regulator of ADAMTS-1 expression in rodent preovulatory follicles, was found to overlap that of ADAMTS-1 in some tIssues. A study of the regulation of follicular ADAMTS-1 and PR mRNAs during the hCG-induced ovulatory process revealed distinct patterns of regulation in granulosa cells and in theca interna. In granulosa cells, ADAMTS-1 mRNA was found to be induced at 12 h post-hCG (P<0.05), followed by a return to basal levels by 30 h and a re-increase at 33-39 h (P<0.05). A concomitant increase in PR mRNA (P<0.05) was observed at 12 h post-hCG. In theca interna, abundant ADAMTS-1 mRNA was detected at all timepoints, and levels increased transiently at 33 h post-hCG (P<0.05), whereas no significant change was observed in PR mRNA. Together, these data demonstrate for the first time the hormonally regulated ovarian expression of ADAMTS-1 in a monoovulatory species, and identify a novel biphasic regulation of ADAMTS-1 in granulosa cells and a regulated expression in theca interna that were not previously observed in rodents.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. R. Dunning, M. Lane, H. M. Brown, C. Yeo, R. L. Robker, and D. L. Russell Altered composition of the cumulus-oocyte complex matrix during in vitro maturation of oocytes Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2007; 22(11): 2842 - 2850. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Sayasith, K. A Brown, and J. Sirois Gonadotropin-dependent regulation of bovine pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide in ovarian follicles prior to ovulation Reproduction, February 1, 2007; 133(2): 441 - 453. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Sayasith, N. Bouchard, M. Dore, and J. Sirois Cloning of equine prostaglandin dehydrogenase and its gonadotropin-dependent regulation in theca and mural granulosa cells of equine preovulatory follicles during the ovulatory process Reproduction, February 1, 2007; 133(2): 455 - 466. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Sayasith, M. Dore, and J. Sirois Molecular characterization of tumor necrosis {alpha}-induced protein 6 and its human chorionic gonadotropin-dependent induction in theca and mural granulosa cells of equine preovulatory follicles Reproduction, January 1, 2007; 133(1): 135 - 145. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K A Brown, D Boerboom, N Bouchard, M Dore, J G Lussier, and J Sirois Human chorionic gonadotropin-dependent induction of an equine aldo-keto reductase (AKR1C23) with 20{alpha}-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity during follicular luteinization in vivo. J. Mol. Endocrinol., June 1, 2006; 36(3): 449 - 461. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M Shozu, N Minami, H Yokoyama, M Inoue, H Kurihara, K Matsushima, and K Kuno ADAMTS-1 is involved in normal follicular development, ovulatory process and organization of the medullary vascular network in the ovary J. Mol. Endocrinol., October 1, 2005; 35(2): 343 - 355. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Sayasith, N. Bouchard, D. Boerboom, K. A. Brown, M. Dore, and J. Sirois Molecular Characterization of Equine P-Selectin (CD62P) and Its Regulation in Ovarian Follicles During the Ovulatory Process Biol Reprod, March 1, 2005; 72(3): 736 - 744. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. M. H. Doyle, D. L. Russell, V. Sriraman, and J. S. Richards Coordinate Transcription of the ADAMTS-1 Gene by Luteinizing Hormone and Progesterone Receptor Mol. Endocrinol., October 1, 2004; 18(10): 2463 - 2478. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Shimada, M. Nishibori, Y. Yamashita, J. Ito, T. Mori, and J. S. Richards Down-Regulated Expression of A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin-Like Repeats-1 by Progesterone Receptor Antagonist Is Associated with Impaired Expansion of Porcine Cumulus-Oocyte Complexes Endocrinology, October 1, 2004; 145(10): 4603 - 4614. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Brown, D. Boerboom, N. Bouchard, M. Dore, J. G. Lussier, and J. Sirois Human Chorionic Gonadotropin-Dependent Regulation of 17{beta}-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 4 in Preovulatory Follicles and Its Potential Role in Follicular Luteinization Endocrinology, April 1, 2004; 145(4): 1906 - 1915. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]