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Updated: Jul 21, 2026

Bovine Ovarian Cortex Tissue Culture
Published on: January 14, 2021
A shift in steroidogenesis occurring in ovarian follicles prior to oocyte maturation
Balasubramanian Senthilkumaran1, Michiyasu Yoshikuni, Yoshitaka Nagahama
1Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
Abstract:
Gonadotropins (GTHs; FSH and LH) require two major steroidal mediators, estradiol-17 beta (E(2)) and 17 alpha,20 beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17 alpha,20 beta-DP) to act as critical hormones to execute oocyte growth and maturation, respectively. A two-cell type model has been proposed, where the theca cells provide the precursor steroids, and the granulosa cells produce the two steroidal mediators under the direct influence of FSH and LH. A distinct shift in steroidogenesis, i.e. from E(2) to 17 alpha,20 beta-DP as well as the steroidogenic enzyme genes from ovarian cytochrome P450 aromatase (oP450arom) to 20 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20 beta-HSD), occurs in the granulosa layers of ovarian follicles prior to oocyte maturation. The triggering of the steroidogenic shift by GTHs in granulosa cells occurs through the subjugation of Ad4BP/SF-1 expression in respect of oP450arom, followed by an over-expression of 20 beta-HSD probably through the CREB.
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