Expression patterns and immunohistochemical analysis of ERK, HRAS and MEK1 proteins during ovarian prehierarchical follicular development in Zi geese (Anser cygnoides)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the spatiotemporal expression levels and protein localization of extracellular regulated MAP kinase (ERK), HRas proto-oncogene, GTPase (HRAS), and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK1) genes in ovarian prehierarchical follicles of geese. The prehierarchical follicles from healthy laying geese (n=6) at the age of 35 to 37 weeks were harvested. The relative expression levels of ERK, HRAS, and MEK1 in various sized prehierarchical follicles were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blotting, and follicular wall localization was investigated by using immunohistochemistry. The results revealed that the candidate genes were expressed differently at mRNA and protein levels at five stages of prehierarchical follicle development. These results suggest that ERK, HRAS, and MEK1 might be associated to the key biological mechanisms regulating Zi geese folliculogenesis.