2007 Volume 53 Issue 2 Pages 229-236
Experiments were conducted to examine the cellular localization of inhibin α-subunit, protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), and FoxO3a proteins in the ovaries of minipigs, Chinese Xiang pigs, by immunohistochemistry. The results indicated that inhibin α-subunits were localized in the granulosa cells of follicles at all stages but were not localized in corpora lutea. PKB was localized in the granulosa cells of primordial follicles and in the basal layers of the granulosa cells of preantral and antral follicles, but were not localized in atretic follicles and corpora lutea. FoxO3a was localized in the granulosa cells of follicles at all stages and was extensively localized in the cytoplasma of the luteinized granulosa cells of corpora lutea. Together, the stage- and cell-specific expression patterns of inhibin α-subunit, FoxO3a, and PKB suggest that these proteins might play potential roles in follicular development, atresia, and luteinization in the minipig.
