Regulation of Anti-Müllerian Hormone Production in the Cow: A Multiscale Study at Endocrine, Ovarian, Follicular, and Granulosa Cell Levels1

Abstract

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is an endocrine marker that can help predict superovulatory responses to treatments administered to cows for embryo production. However, the optimal time of the estrous cycle at which a blood test should be performed for a highly reliable prognosis has not yet been established. Moreover, little is known about the regulation of AMH production. To answer these questions, a study was designed to investigate the regulation of AMH production in cows selected for their high or low ovulatory responses to superovulation. At the granulosa cell level, AMH production was inhibited by follicle-stimulating hormone but enhanced by bone morphogenetic proteins. At the follicular level, the expression of AMH within the follicle was dependent on the stage of follicular development. At the ovarian level, the size of the pool of small antral growing follicles determined ovarian AMH production. At the endocrine level, AMH followed a specific dynamic profile during the estrous cycle, which occurred independently of the follicular waves of terminal follicular development. Cows selected for their high or low responses to superovulation did not differ in the regulation of AMH production, but cows with higher responses had higher plasma AMH concentrations throughout the cycle. The optimal period of the estrous cycle at which to measure AMH concentrations with the aim of selecting the best cows for embryo production was found to be at estrus and after Day 12 of the cycle. Based on this multiscale study, we propose a model that integrates the different regulatory levels of AMH production.

Anti-Müllerian hormone is produced heterogeneously in primate preantral follicles and is a potential biomarker for follicle growth and oocyte maturation in vitro

“…The current study indicated that AMH was expressed as the follicle began to grow at the primary stage, increased during the subsequent development in preantral follicles, and peaked after antrum formation. The patterns are consistent with previous findings in nonprimate [1,2] and primate [10,11] species. However, though similar in size and morphological characteristics, macaque preantral follicles at the same developmental stage appeared to differ in AMH biosynthesis and secretion, as distinguished by AMH immunostaining intensity and AMH concentrations in the culture media.…”

“…AMH messenger RNA (mRNA) and/or protein is detectable in preantral follicles, peaks in antral follicles, and decreases following subsequent follicle growth to the preovulatory stage in rodents [1], domestic animals [2], and Capsule AMH, co-expressed with AMHR2, was produced heterogeneously by preantral follicles in macaques with levels correlated positively with follicle growth and oocyte maturation. AMH may serve as a biomarker for primate follicular development in vitro.…”

Prediction of Superovulatory Response in Japanese Black Cattle Using Ultrasound, Plasma Anti-Müllerian Hormone Concentrations and Polymorphism in the Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor AMPA1/GRIA1

“…In cattle, circulating AMH concentrations were constant during the 6-to 9-day breeding period prior to ovulation [9]. Another study showed that circulating AMH concentrations followed a specific dynamic profile during the estrus cycle with the highest correlations between the number of ovulations and AMH levels at estrus and after Day 12 of the cycle [17]. In any case, these studies suggest that circulating AMH concentrations are useful for selecting donor cows able to produce large numbers of embryos for an extended period of the cycle.…”

Identification of an ionotropic glutamate receptor AMPA1/GRIA1 polymorphism in crossbred beef cows differing in fertility12

“…However, we observed no differences in relative abundances of AMH mRNA from the granulosa cells of small (1 to 5 mm) antral follicles of repeat breeder cows compared with control cows. Rico et al (2011) observed no difference in follicular fluid concentrations of AMH from 3 to 5 mm follicles from cows with a high (>15 CL) superovulatory response compared with cows with a low (<10 CL) superovulatory response. This suggests that fertility status influences the production of AMH by bovine granulosa cells more in the later stages of follicular development than the early stages of follicular development.…”