Effects of recombinant goose adiponectin on steroid hormone secretion in Huoyan geese ovarian granulosa cells.

Adiponectin is an adipokine associated with the regulation of reproductive processes. To determine whether recombinant goose adiponectin contributes to the goose ovarian steroidogenesis, the native and then purified goose recombinant adiponectin protein was produced using recombinant DNA technologies. The effect of recombinant adiponectin on the progesterone (P) and estradiol (E) production in Huoyan geese ovarian granulosa cells was examined. Furthermore, the effect of recombinant adiponectin (2.5 μg/mL) on the abundance of StAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein), CYP11A1 (cytochrome P450scc, cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme) and CYP19A1 (cytochrome P450 aromatase) mRNA and protein in granulosa cells was evaluated. Results indicate that a 24-h treatment with recombinant adiponectin (2.5 μg/mL) affected P and E production by geese ovarian granulosa cells by stimulating P production (P < 0.01) and weakly inhibiting E production (P > 0.05). Furthermore, when the results with treatment were compared to when there was not adiponectin treatment, the abundance of StAR and CYP11A1 mRNA was greater (P < 0.05) while the CYP19A1 mRNA slightly decreased (P > 0.05). In addition, the fluorescence intensity of StAR tended to be greater compared to PBS-treated (P < 0.05) and control groups (P > 0.05) and StAR protein abundance was greater (P < 0.05) compared to the other two groups. The fluorescence intensity and protein abundances of CYP11A1 increased (P < 0.05) while those for CYP19A1 tended to decrease (P > 0.05) after adiponectin treatment. The results indicate recombinant goose adiponectin affects steroidogenesis and/or hormone secretion of geese ovarian granulosa cells. There may, therefore, be important functions of adiponectin in goose reproductive physiology.