Early effects of luteinizing hormone on mitochondrial phosphoinositides in ovarian follicles

It is not clear if luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulates breakdown as well as synthesis of phosphoinositides in ovarian tissue. Possibly, LH stimulation results in hydrolysis of ovarian phosphoinositides in discrete subcellular compartments while increasing their synthesis at other sites. To investigate this hypothesis, we determined the effects of LH on phosphoinositide metabolism in whole homogenates and mitochondria of ovarian follicles. Medium (3-7 mm) follicles from porcine ovaries were preincubated for 2 h in phosphate (PO4)-free medium with 32PO4, and incubated without or with LH (1 microgram/ml). Phosphatidylinositol (PI) and related compounds, phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PIP) and phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2), accounted for 40% of the radiolabeled phospholipids in whole homogenates and over 60% in mitochondria from preincubated follicles. After 5 min, LH caused a significant decrease in radiolabeling of PIP2 and PIP in mitochondria, but not in whole homogenates. Luteinizing hormone increased radiolabeling of PIP2, PIP, PI and PA within 10 min in whole homogenates, and within 20 to 30 min in mitochondria. This delayed increase in radiolabeling of mitochondrial phosphoinositides after LH treatment was accompanied by decreases in PIP2, PIP and PI radiolabeling in whole homogenates. Follicles also were preincubated for 4 h with [3H]inositol, then for 15 min with 10 mM LiCl (an inhibitor of inositol phosphate hydrolysis). Inositol phosphate accumulation in 30 min was 2.7 times higher in homogenates of LH-treated follicles then in untreated follicles. Also, LH significantly decreased inositol bisphosphate, but did not change inositol trisphosphate accumulation. Accumulation of inositol phosphates in mitochondria was not measurable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)