Basigin expression and regulation in mouse ovary during the sexual maturation and development of corpus luteum

Basigin is a highly glycosylated transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. Basigin-deficient male mice are azoospermic. The majority of basigin null embryos die around the time of implantation. However, basigin expression and regulation in mouse ovary is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate basigin expression in mouse ovary during sexual maturation, gonadotropin treatment, and luteal development by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Both basigin mRNA and immunostaining were not detected in the granulosa cells of preantral follicles until day 20 after birth. On day 30 after birth, basigin immunostaining dropped to a basal level, while basigin mRNA was still at a high level. Basigin expression was strongly induced by equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) treatment at 4 and 8 hr post-eCG injection. Both basigin immunostaining and mRNA signals were strongly observed in the corpus luteum on days 2 and 3 post-hCG injection. However, no basigin expression was detected from days 6 to 15 post-hCG injection. In conclusion, our data suggest that basigin may play a role during the mouse follicle development and corpus luteum formation.