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Contribution of Autophagy to the Maintenance of Luteal Functions and the Regression of Corpus Luteum in the Mammalian Ovary
Tang Zonghao, Zhang Zhenghong, Tang Yedong, Wang Zhengchao*
Provincial Key Laboratory for Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, College of Life Sciences,Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
Abstract: Autophagy is a catabolic process widely existed in the eukaryocytes. Under starvation or oxidative stress， cells may degradate their components and recycle them via autophage to maintain intracellular homeostasis and metabolic balances for the survival of cells. Corpus luteum is an ephemeral endocrine gland in the mammalian ovary， playing a pivotal role in the maintenance of luteal functions and early pregnancy. The production of progesterone is one core function of corpus luteum in the ovary. Present researches have demonstrated that autophagy is involved in the maintenance of luteal functions during the pregnancy and boost the apoptosis of luteal cells during the regression. Therefore， the contribution of autophagy to the maintenance of luteal functions and the regression of corpus luteum in the mammalian ovary will be reviewed， in order to provide some important references for further investigating the regulatory mechanism of luteal functions in the mammalian ovary.
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