Stem cell factor promotes in vitro ovarian follicle development in the domestic cat by upregulating c-kit mRNA expression and stimulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT pathway
Paweena Thuwanut A C , Pierre Comizzoli A , David E. Wildt A , Carol L. Keefer B and Nucharin Songsasen A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA 22630 and Washington, DC 20008, USA.
B Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740, USA.
C Present address: Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
D Corresponding author. Email: songsasenn@si.edu
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 29(7) 1356-1368 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD16071
Submitted: 11 February 2016 Accepted: 3 May 2016 Published: 9 June 2016
Abstract
In the present study we examined the effects of stem cell factor (SCF; 50 vs 100 ng mL–1) alone or in combination with epidermal growth factor (EGF; 100 ng mL–1) on: (1) the in vitro viability and growth of cat follicles within ovarian cortices; (2) phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation; and (3) c-kit and FSH receptor (FSHr) mRNA expression. At 100 ng mL–1, SCF increased (P ≤ 0.05) the percentage and size of secondary follicles after 14 days of in vitro culture and sustained AKT phosphorylation after 3 days incubation. EGF suppressed this beneficial effect and reduced (P ≤ 0.05) the percentage of structurally normal follicles and FSHr expression when combined with 100 ng mL–1 SCF. Expression of c-kit mRNA was higher (P ≤ 0.05) in the presence of 100 ng mL–1 SCF compared with fresh follicles and cohorts cultured under other conditions. A c-kit inhibitor suppressed follicle growth and reduced AKT phosphorylation. Collectively, the results demonstrate that SCF promotes cat follicle development by upregulating c-kit mRNA expression and AKT phosphorylation. EGF suppresses the stimulating effect of SCF, leading to downregulation of FSHr expression.
Additional keywords: folliculogenesis, gene expression, growth factor, ovary.
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