The expression and distribution of cadherins during rat ovarian development, folliculogenesis, luteinization, and oocyte maturation /

The cadherins are a superfamily of transmembrane glycoproteins that mediate calcium-dependent cell adhesion. Cadherins have several functions including roles in cell sorting and polarity, tissue morphogenesis, and embryogenesis. The study of cadherins in ovarian cells has thus far revealed important roles for them in ovarian cell survival, differentiation, and function. The ovary has a structured topology that undergoes organized and cyclical tissue remodeling events. It is our contention that cadherin expression influences ovarian structure and morphogenesis.We have undertaken a series of studies to examine the expression of several cadherins in the rat ovary during the perinatal, prepubertal, and adult developmental periods. The studies focus on the ovarian topology and tissue remodeling processes in the ovary, such as folliculogenesis and corpus luteum formation. The results of our studies show that cadherin expression in the rat ovary is present at all stages of development and that their expression patterns are specific, but often overlapping. The patterns of cadherin expression correlate with the organization of the ovarian cell types into tissues. The distribution of E-, N-, P-, K- and OB-cadherin expression depends on age or the developmental stage of follicles, corpora lutea, and/or oocytes. We have observed changes in E- and P-cadherin expression during important developmental events such as initiation of follicle growth and antrum formation, and E- and N-cadherin expression during preovulatory follicle development, corpus luteum formation, and oocyte meiotic maturation. Our findings establish that ovarian cadherin expression is pervasive throughout its development, and in addition, the distribution and variation in expression patterns that we have observed, support the hypothesis that cadherins are involved in the organization and morphogenesis of the rat ovary