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[The expression of proto-oncogene c-erbB2 and its role in the initiation of primordial follicle growth in rat ovary.] [Ariticle in Chinese]

XU Liang-Quan, XU Ai-Xia, HUANG Jian, CHEN Wei-Yun, ZHENG Yue-Hui^*

Department of Physiology Reproduction, Nanchang University Medical College, Nanchang 330006, China

Abstract

Little is known about the factors that control the initiation of growth of primordial follicles. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of c-erbB2 on the onset of primordial follicle development, and whether c-erbB2 mediates the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in this process. We synthesized three pairs of siRNAs targeting the c-erbB2 mRNA and transferred them into the newborn rat ovary cultured in vitro with Metafectene. After siRNAs transfection, the efficiency of siRNAs was tested by examining c-erbB2 mRNA and protein levels. The level of c-erbB2 mRNA was reduced by 49.6%, 46.7% and 82.6% respectively after transfecting siRNA1, siRNA2 and siRNA3, and the level of ErbB2 protein also reduced remarkably after siRNA3 transfection. c-erbB2 siRNA3 significantly inhibited the primordial follicle initiation and development; EGF augmented primordial follicles formation, but the effect was abolished by c-erbB2 siRNA3. All of these results suggest that c-erbB2 plays an important role in primordial follicle development and folliculogenesis initiation, and mediates the effect of EGF on primordial follicle development.

Key words: ovary; primordial follicle; c-erbB2; epidermal growth factor; RNAi

Received: 2009-01-06　　Accepted: 2009-09-07

Corresponding author: 郑月慧　　E-mail: yuehuizheng@163.com

Citing This Article：

XU Liang-Quan, XU Ai-Xia, HUANG Jian, CHEN Wei-Yun, ZHENG Yue-Hui. [The expression of proto-oncogene c-erbB2 and its role in the initiation of primordial follicle growth in rat ovary.] [Ariticle in Chinese] . Acta Physiol Sin 2009; 61 (5): 424-430 (in Chinese with English abstract).