Student Chungbuk National University, Republic of Korea
Abstract: Notch signaling plays a crucial role in cell-cell communication, regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, as well as ovarian follicle development. However, the presence and role of Notch signaling in porcine follicle development remain largely unexplored. Therefore, we aimed to identify the presence of Notch signaling components during folliculogenesis and investigated the communication between oocytes and cumulus cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot analysis revealed the localization of Notch receptor and ligand in porcine follicular cells across various follicle sizes. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of RO4929097 (RO), a Notch signaling inhibitor, on porcine oocyte maturation by analyzing changes in transzonal projections (TZPs), gap junctions, and metabolite levels, as well as apoptosis rates. During oocyte maturation, RO treatment significantly reduced the intensity and number of TZPs, as well as the levels of gap junctions and metabolites. Moreover, RO treatment notably increased the apoptosis rate in COCs after 42 h of oocyte maturation. We demonstrated for the first time the localization of Notch receptor and ligand in porcine ovarian follicle development. Additionally, these findings suggest that the pivotal role of Notch signaling in mediating oocyte-cumulus cell interactions, as evidenced by the reduction in TZPs, gap junctions, and metabolites, along with the increase in apoptosis rate following RO treatment.
Funding Source: “Technology Innovation Program funded by the MOTIE, Korea (20023068)”, and “IPET in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries funded by MAFRA (RS-2024-00398561, RS-2024-00399475)"
