<i>EZH2</i> Gene Knockdown Inhibits Sheep Pituitary Cell Proliferation via Downregulating the AKT/ERK Signaling Pathway

Abstract

Pituitary gonadotropins perform essential functions in mammalian reproduction by stimulating gametogenesis and steroidogenesis in the ovaries and testicles. EZH2 is a histone methyltransferase that inhibits proliferation and aggravates apoptosis in stem cells subjected to pathological stimuli. However, the expression and molecular mechanisms of EZH2 in pituitary cells in vitro have not been extensively studied. In this study, the relative abundances of EZH2 mRNA (p p EZH2 gene knockdown led to an earlier induction of apoptosis in sheep pituitary cells (PCs). The relative abundance of CASP3, CASP9, and BAX was increased (p BCL2’s abundance was less decreased (p EZH2 gene knockdown. Additionally, cell proliferation (p p EZH2 gene knockdown led to reduced abundances of gonadotropin subunit gene transcripts (FSHβ, p p EZH2 gene knockdown led to reduced phosphorylation of AKT, ERK, and mTOR (p < 0.01). The results suggest that EZH2 regulates pituitary cell proliferation, apoptosis, and FSH secretion through modulation of the AKT/ERK signaling pathway, providing a foundation for further study of pituitary cell functions.

Keywords

• EZH2
• Hu sheep
• proliferation
• apoptosis
• gonadotropin secretion
• pituitary cells