Androgen receptor mRNA expression in the rhesus monkey ovary

Immunocytochemical detection of androgen receptors (ARs) in several compart ments of the macaque ovary, including the germinal epithelium, follicle, an d corpus luteum, suggests a role for androgens in modulating ovarian functi on via the classical receptor-mediated pathway. To examine AR mRNA expressi on in the rhesus monkey ovary, total RNA was isolated from whole ovaries, t he germinal epithelium-enriched cortical and medullary compartments of the ovary, and corpora lutea from early (d 3-5), mid (d 6-8), mid-late (d 10-12 ), and late (d 13-15) stages of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. RN A was also obtained from luteinized granulosa cells from monkeys receiving gonadotropin treatment to stimulate the development of multiple ovarian fol licles. After reverse transcription of total RNA using oligo-dT as a primer , polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify a unique 329 bp segme nt of the monkey AR hormone-binding region. Reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR products of the expected size were detected in all ovarian and control tiss ues. Sequence analysis of the AR cDNA from the macaque ovary revealed 99% n ucleotide homology and 100% predicted amino acid homology to the cDNA for t he hormone-binding region of human AR. Northern analysis demonstrated the p resence of a major AR mRNA species at 9.5 kb in corpus luteum, luteinized g ranulosa cells, and prostate, with additional bands detected in the corpus luteum and prostate at 7.9 and 3.4 kb, respectively. A sensitive RNase prot ection assay was used to examine AR mRNA levels in ovarian tissues and show ed AR mRNA expression throughout the life-span of the corpus luteum. Thus, detection of AR mRNA in the primate ovary, including the periovulatory foll icle and corpus luteum, supports the concept that these tissues are targets for receptor-mediated androgen action during the menstrual cycle.