Brain ribonuclease (BRB) is a member of the ribonuclease A superfamily that is constitutively expressed in a range of tissues, and is the functional homolog of human ribonuclease 1. This study was designed to characterize BRB gene expression in granulosa cells (GC) during development of bovine dominant ovarian follicles, and to determine the hormonal regulation of BRB in GC. Estrous cycles of Holstein cows (n = 18) were synchronized and cows were ovariectomized on either day 3 to 4 or day 5 to 6 post-ovulation during dominant follicle growth and selection. Ovaries were collected, follicular fluid (FFL) was aspirated, and GC were collected for RNA isolation and quantitative PCR. Follicles were categorized as small (1 to 5 mm; pooled per ovary), medium (5 to 8 mm; individually collected) or large (8.1 to 17 mm; individually collected) based on surface diameter. Estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels were measured by RIA in FFL. Abundance of BRB mRNA in GC was 8.6- to 11.8-fold greater (P < 0.05) in small (n = 31), medium (n = 66) and large (n = 33) subordinate E2-inactive (FFL E2 < P4) follicles than in large (n = 16) dominant E2-active (FFL E2 > P4) follicles. In the largest 4 follicles, GC BRB mRNA abundance was negatively correlated (P < 0.01) with FFL E2 (r = −0.65) and E2/P4 ratio (r = −0.46). In Exp. 2, GC from large (8 to 22 mm diameter) and small (1 to 5 mm diameter) follicles were treated with IGF1 (0 or 30 ng/mL), and/or tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) (0 or 30 ng/mL); IGF1 increased (P < 0.05) BRB mRNA abundance and TNFα decreased (P < 0.001) the IGF1-induced BRB mRNA abundance in large-follicle GC. In Exp. 3 to 6, E2, FSH, fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9), cortisol, wingless 3A (WNT3A), or Sonic hedgehog (SHH) did not affect (P > 0.10) abundance of BRB mRNA in GC; thyroxine and LH increased (P < 0.05) whereas prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) decreased (P < 0.05) BRB mRNA abundance in small-follicle GC. Treatment of small-follicle GC with recombinant human RNase1 increased (P < 0.05) GC numbers and estradiol production. In conclusion, BRB is a hormonally and developmentally regulated gene in bovine GC and may regulate estradiol production during follicular growth in cattle.

Angiogenin is a member of the ribonuclease A superfamily of proteins that has been implicated in stimulating angiogenesis but whether angiogenin can directly affect ovarian granulosa or theca cell function is unknown. Therefore, the objective of these studies was to determine the effect of angiogenin on proliferation and steroidogenesis of bovine granulosa and theca cells. In experiments 1 and 2, granulosa cells from small (1 to 5 mm diameter) follicles and theca cells from large (8 to 22 mm diameter) follicles were cultured to evaluate the dose-response effect of recombinant human angiogenin on steroidogenesis. At 30 and 100 ng/ml, angiogenin inhibited (P < 0.05) granulosa cell progesterone production and theca cell androstenedione production but did not affect (P > 0.10) granulosa cell estradiol production or theca cell progesterone production, and did not affect numbers of granulosa or theca cells. In experiments 3 and 4, granulosa and theca cells from both small and large follicles were cultured with 300 ng/ml of angiogenin to determine if size of follicle influenced responses to angiogenin. At 300 ng/ml, angiogenin increased large follicle granulosa cell proliferation but decreased small follicle granulosa cell progesterone and estradiol production and large follicle theca cell progesterone production. In experiments 5 and 6, angiogenin stimulated (P < 0.05) proliferation and DNA synthesis in large follicle granulosa cells. In experiment 7, 300 ng/ml of angiogenin increased (P < 0.05) CYP19A1 messenger RNA (mRNA) abundance in granulosa cells but did not affect CYP11A1 mRNA abundance in granulosa or theca cells and did not affect CYP17A1 mRNA abundance in theca cells. We conclude that angiogenin appears to target both granulosa and theca cells in cattle, but additional research is needed to further understand the mechanism of action of angiogenin in granulosa and theca cells, as well as its precise role in folliculogenesis.