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J. Plendl, C. Snyman, K.D. Bhoola

Expression of the Tissue Kallikrein-Kinin Cascade in Granulosa Cells of the Ovary

The serine protease, tissue kininogenase (kallikrein), belongs to a unique family of enzymes that cleaves the decapeptide, kallidin, from the endogenous substrate kininogen. By analysis of genealogy patterns rat KLK gene family members have been detected in ovarian luteinizing granulosa cells of both gonadotrophin treated and nontreated control rats. Recently, we demonstrated that tissue kininogenase showed intense immunolabeling in angiogenic endothelial cells isolated from bovine mature and regressing corpora lutea. Therefore, the question to answer was whether granulosa cells associated with ovarian vascularization possess the same capacity to express the kallikreinkinin cascade as do microvascular endothelial cells. As a first step, experiments were designed to determine the expression and visualization of tissue kininogenase (both active and pro forms) as well as kininogen and kinin receptors in granulosa cells of different developmental stages and segments of the ovarian follicle by immunoperoxidase assay, confocal fluorescent microscopy and in situ hybridization.

Biological Chemistry, Walter de Gruyter

Print ISSN: 1431-6730
Volume: 383, 12/2002
Pages: 1917 - 1924

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