miR-383 regulates sheep granular cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting Bcl-2

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Molecular Endocrinology
• Ovarian Physiology

Background:

• Follicular atresia, driven by granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis, results in the loss of ~99% of developing follicles in female mammals.
• MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of follicular atresia, influencing GC proliferation, apoptosis, and hormone secretion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the specific role of miR-383 in regulating proliferation and apoptosis of ovine ovarian granulosa cells.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which miR-383 exerts its effects on sheep ovarian follicles.

Main Methods:

• Overexpression of miR-383 in ovine GCs.
• Cell cycle analysis (G1 arrest).
• Bioinformatic prediction of miRNA targets.
• Dual-luciferase reporter assay to validate target gene interaction.

Main Results:

• Overexpression of miR-383 significantly inhibited GC proliferation and induced cell death.
• miR-383 induced a G1-phase cell cycle arrest in ovine GCs.
• The anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 was identified and validated as a direct target of miR-383.

Conclusions:

• miR-383 plays a critical role in controlling ovine granulosa cell proliferation and apoptosis.
• miR-383 regulates these processes by directly targeting and downregulating the Bcl-2 gene.
• This finding enhances understanding of miRNA-mediated regulation in ovine follicular development and atresia.