Roles of CNP signaling pathway in follicular development and atresia

Research Project

Project/Area Number	25450395
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Animal production science
Research Institution	Okayama University
Principal Investigator	tsuji takehito 岡山大学, 環境生命科学研究科, 准教授 (90314682)
Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha)	YASODA akihiro 京都大学, 大学院医学研究科, 講師 (50378642) KUNIEDA Tetsuo 岡山大学, 大学院自然科学研究科, 教授 (80178011)
Project Period (FY)	2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
Budget Amount *help	¥5,330,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,230,000) Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000) Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000) Fiscal Year 2013: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
Keywords	CNP / 卵胞 / 卵胞閉鎖 / アポトーシス / NPR3
Outline of Final Research Achievements	In this study, we investigated whether C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) functions to regulate follicular development and atresia. The numbers of ovarian follicles in mice injected with CNP and CNP transgenic mice showed no difference compared with those of normal mice. We showed the expression of Npr3 gene in granulosa cells of ovarian follicles, but no alterations were observed in the ovary of mice with a mutation in Npr3 gene. Next, we investigated CNP function in cultured early antral follicles, and found that a moderate inhibitory effect of CNP on apoptosis in granulosa cells. We conclude that CNP may have the potential to control follicular atresia via inhibition of apoptosis in granulosa cells.