The dıstrıbutıon of proteın kınase c ısotypes and theır correlatıon wıth follıculogenesıs ın mouse ovary

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a cAMP independent protein kinase family consisting of twelve distinct members. They can be subdivided into three subfamilies. The conventional PKCs (a, b1, b2, g) are all activated by phospholipids, in particular phosphatidyl serine, diacylglycerol (DAG) and Ca2+ where the novel PKCs (d,e, h, q, m) do not require Ca2+ for its action. The atypical PKCs (l, i, x) respond neither to DAG nor to Ca2+ but they still require phospholipids. The PKCs are suggested being critical in the regulation of follicular development, ovulation and luteinization. Although it is hypothesized to control different cellular processes, the specific localization of these PKCs has not been enlightened in ovary up today. The aim of this study is to determine the specific localization of PKC isotypes in prepubertal, pubertal and adult mouse ovary.In our study, ovaries were obtained from 1 day old prepubertal BalbC mice in which full lenght transcripts of gonadotropin receptors can not be seen, 7 days old prepubertal BalbC mice in which full lenght transcripts of gonadotropin receptors can be seen, 21 day old pubertal BalbC mice in which follicles can be developed until gonadotropin independent secondary stage and day 60 adult BalbC mice and localization of three different PKC istotypes (PKCa, PKCd, PKCe) and their phosphorylated forms (pPKCa, pPKCe) in the ovary sections were determined using immunohistochemical techniques.PKCa was localized in the oocytes and granulosa cells of ovarian follicles and luteal cells of corpora lutea and its immunoreactivity showed variations in different folicular stages and was different in prepubertal stage. PKCd showed a higher immunoreactivity in the granulosa cells of ovarian follicles than the oocytes and its immunoreactivity in the luteal cells of corpora lutea was not as higher as PKCa and was changed in the prepubertal stage. PKCe was localized specifically in the oocytes of all different maturation stages of follicles in all groups. It was not immunopositive in luteal cells.In conclusion, PKCa, PKCd and PKCe were specifically localized in different cells of the ovaries from different developmental stages. Our study will provide an insight for the studies on specific roles of PKC isotypes and determination of their relationship with other signal transduction pathways.Keywords: PKC, ovary, oocyte, granulosa, immunohistochemistry