A Dual Death/survival Role of Autophagy in the Adult Ovary of Lagostomus Maximus (Mammalia- Rodentia)

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2020 May 30

PMID 32469908

Citations 13

Authors

Noelia P Leopardo

Mariela E Velazquez

Santiago Cortasa

Candela R Gonzalez

Alfredo D Vitullo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Follicular atresia is a cell death event that occurs in the great majority of follicles before ovulation in the mature mammalian ovary. Germ cell loss has been mainly associated to apoptosis although autophagy also seems to be at play. Aimed to increase our understanding on the possible cooperating role of autophagy and apoptosis in follicular atresia and/or follicular survival, we analyzed both programmed cell death mechanisms in a rodent model, the South American plains vizcacha, Lagostomus maximus. Female vizcacha shows highly suppressed apoptosis-dependent follicular atresia in the adult ovary, with continuous folliculogenesis and massive polyovulation. This strategy of massive ovulation requires a permanent remodeling of the ovarian architecture to maintain the availability of quiescent primordial follicles throughout the individual's reproductive lifespan. We report here our analysis of autophagy (BECN1, LAMP1 and LC3B-I/II) and apoptosis (BCL2 and ACTIVE CASPASE-3) markers which revealed interactive behaviors between both processes, with autophagy promoting survival or cell death depending on the ovarian structure. Strong BECN1, LC3B-II and LAMP1 staining was observed in atretic follicles and degenerating corpora lutea that also expressed nuclear ACTIVE CASPASE-3. Healthy follicles showed a slight expression of autophagy proteins but a strong expression of BCL2 and no detectable ACTIVE CASPASE-3. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a high formation of autophagosomes, autolysosomes and lysosomes in atretic follicles and degenerating corpora lutea and a low number of autophagic vesicles in normal follicles. The co-expression of LC3B-BECN1, LC3B-LAMP1 and LC3B-ACTIVE CASPASE-3 was only detected in atretic follicles and degenerating corpora lutea, while co-expression of BCL2-BECN1 was only observed in normal follicles. We propose that autophagy could act as a mechanism to eliminate altered follicles and remnant corpora lutea providing the necessary space for maturation of primordial follicles that continuously enter the growing follicular pool to sustain massive ovulation.

Citing Articles

Folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis alterations after chronic exposure to a human-relevant mixture of environmental toxicants spare the ovarian reserve in the rabbit model.

El Fouikar S, Van Acker N, Helies V, Frenois F, Giton F, Gayrard V J Ovarian Res. 2024; 17(1):134.

PMID: 38943138 PMC: 11214233. DOI: 10.1186/s13048-024-01457-6.

Autophagy favors survival of corpora lutea during the long-lasting pregnancy of the South American plains vizcacha, Lagostomus maximus (Rodentia, Caviomorpha).

Caram D, Inserra P, Vitullo A, Leopardo N Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):11220.

PMID: 38755206 PMC: 11099099. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61478-5.

A matter of new life and cell death: programmed cell death in the mammalian ovary.

Chesnokov M, Mamedova A, Zhivotovsky B, Kopeina G J Biomed Sci. 2024; 31(1):31.

PMID: 38509545 PMC: 10956231. DOI: 10.1186/s12929-024-01017-6.

Histological, immunohistochemical and serological investigations of the ovary during follicular phase of estrous cycle in Saidi sheep.

Abd-Elkareem M, Khormi M, Mohamed R, Ali F, Hassan M BMC Vet Res. 2024; 20(1):98.

PMID: 38461282 PMC: 10924360. DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-03933-z.

β-Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Alleviates Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest and Death in Ovarian Granulosa Cells.

Wang Y, Li Q, Ma Z, Xu H, Peng F, Chen B Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(21).

PMID: 37958650 PMC: 10649918. DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115666.

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