| First Author | Wang J | Year | 2021 |
| Journal | iScience | Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 2 | Pages | 102065 |
| PubMed ID | 33644709 | Mgi Jnum | J:339763 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6717675 | Doi | 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102065 |
| Citation | Wang J, et al. (2021) Procr-expressing granulosa cells are highly proliferative and are important for follicle development. iScience 24(2):102065 |
| abstractText | Granulosa cells (GCs) play a critical role in folliculogenesis. It remains unclear how GCs expand during follicle development and whether there is a subpopulation of cells that is responsible for GCs growth. Here, we observed that a small population of GCs expressed stem cell surface marker Procr (Protein C receptor). Procr GCs displayed higher proliferation ability and lower levels of hormone receptors compared with Procr- GCs. Knockdown of Procr inhibited proliferation. Lineage tracing experiments demonstrated that they contribute to increasing numbers of GCs during folliculogenesis. Targeted ablation of Procr+ cells disrupted ovarian follicle development, leading to phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome. Our findings suggest that Procr-expressing GCs are endowed with high proliferative capacity that is critical for follicle development. |
