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The Molecular Basis of Ovarian Cell Death

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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Part of the book series: Serono Symposia USA ((SERONOSYMP))

Abstract

The destiny of the vast majority of ovarian follicles formed during the perinatal period in vertebrate species is atretic degeneration (1–3). The reasons why certain follicles possess or gain a competitive survival advantage over other follicles to thwart death, complete the process of maturation, and ultimately release an egg at ovulation, remain a mystery. Previous studies of the morphologic changes that accompany granulosa cell demise during atresia provided the first evidence that physiologic mechanisms of cell death, such as apoptosis, may serve as the fundamental process by which follicular atresia is initiated and completed (reviewed in 1–3). These morphologic observations linking granulosa cell pyknosis to atresia have recently been supported by numerous biochemical studies that provided conclusive evidence of a fundamental role for apoptosis in atretic degeneration (4–9). Using internucleosomal DNA cleavage as a marker for identifying and quantitating the onset and progression of granulosa cell death, several advances have been made in understanding the hormonal signaling events that influence the fate of granulosa cells and, hence, the follicle (10–15). Of greater interest, however, is the possibility that the intracellular effectors that lead to the initiation of granulosa cell death during atresia may share many common features such as those recently described for apoptosis in extragonadal cell systems. Therefore, this chapter discusses evidence suggesting a potential function for products encoded by “cell death genes,” including members of the ced-9/bcl-2, tumor suppressor, oxidative stress response, and ced-3/interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (ICE) gene families, in the life and death decisions made by granulosa cells during follicular development. Due to space limitations, the hormonal control of apoptosis in granulosa cells during atresia will not be discussed in detail here; the reader is referred elsewhere for this information (10–15).

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Authors
  1. Jonathan L. Tilly
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  2. Anne N. Hirshfield
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, 95816, Sacramento, CA, USA

    R. Jeffrey Chang M.D.

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Tilly, J.L., Hirshfield, A.N. (1996). The Molecular Basis of Ovarian Cell Death. In: Chang, R.J. (eds) Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Serono Symposia USA. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8483-0_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8483-0_3

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