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Follicular growth and oogenesis involve highly dynamic changes in morphogenesis, chromatin structure, and gene transcription. The tight coordination of these events leads to ovulation of a mature oocyte and formation of the luteal tissue necessary to regulate embryo implantation and development. This entire process is regulated by numerous endocrine and in situ mechanisms. The role of epigenetic mechanisms in folliculogenesis, such as the biochemical modification of the DNA packaging proteins, the histones, is not well understood. Our objective was to determine the cellular and follicular stage-specific patterns of histone H3 methylation at lysine 4 (K4) in porcine preovulatory follicles and during luteinization in pig ovaries. Ovary tissues were collected from slaughtered prepubertal and cyclic gilts at various stages of the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and from ovaries recovered from gonatropin-treated gilts at 0, 24, and 38 h post human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection. Samples were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and processed for embedding in paraffin and sectioned using standard histological protocols. Immunofluorescent staining was performed on 3 microm thick sections. The immunostaining pattern of mono-, di-, and tri-methylated histone H3-K4 and lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1, also known as KDM1 or AOF1) was assessed. Interestingly, H3-K4 mono-, di-, and tri-methylation in follicles of prepubertal gilts was specifically distributed and developmentally regulated. While granulosa cells of primary, secondary, and early antral follicles were negative for H3-K4 methylation those from large antral follicles showed a striking upregulation in the cells located in the proximity to the oocyte. Specifically, the cumulus oophorus displayed intense staining for H3-K4 methylation and signals were strongest in the granulosa cells in the inner two cell layers of the follicular wall. Although all oocytes from primary to large antral stage follicles were positive for H3-K4 mono-, di-, and tri-methylation, the patterns of distribution were altered through oocyte follicle development. H3-K4 methylation in granulosa cells was dramatically reduced as time to ovulation approached and was low to undetected at 38 h post hCG treatment. H3-K4 mono-, di-, and tri-methylation in large luteal cells increased as differentiation evolved but remained low in small luteal cells. Strikingly, LSD1 (KDM1) expression was found to be restricted to the corpus luteum. In summary, this study provides new information on histone H3-K4 methylation patterns in the oocyte and follicle during folliculogenesis, which suggests that these epigenetic markers serve an essential regulatory role during folliculogenesis.

Developmental regulation of histone H3 methylation at lysine 4 in the porcine ovary