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The expression profile of WNT/β-catanin signalling genes in human oocytes obtained from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2022

Aya Badeea Ismail Open the ORCID record for Aya Badeea Ismail [Opens in a new window] ,
Marwan ’Mohammad Saeed’ Naji ,
İnci Nebih ,
Gulten Tuncel ,
Burcu Ozbakir ,
Sehime Gulsun Temel ,
Pinar Tulay Open the ORCID record for Pinar Tulay [Opens in a new window] ,
Gamze Mocan  and
Mahmut Cerkez Ergoren Open the ORCID record for Mahmut Cerkez Ergoren [Opens in a new window]
Aya Badeea Ismail
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
Marwan ’Mohammad Saeed’ Naji
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
İnci Nebih
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
Gulten Tuncel
Affiliation:
DESAM Institute, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
Burcu Ozbakir
Affiliation:
DESAM Institute, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
Sehime Gulsun Temel
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, BursaTurkey
Pinar Tulay
Affiliation:
DESAM Institute, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
Gamze Mocan
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
Mahmut Cerkez Ergoren*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
*
Author for correspondence: M.C. Ergoren. Near East University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics, 99138 Nicosia, Cyprus. E-mail: mahmutcerkez.ergoren@neu.edu.tr
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Summary

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a chronic hormonal turmoil that is demonstrated in 2.2−27% of women of pre-menopausal age. This disease is a complex multigenic disorder that results from the interaction between excess androgen expression, genetic susceptibility and environmental influences. PCOS is associated with 40% of female infertility and endometrial cancer. The WNT/β-catenin signalling transduction pathway regulates aspects of cell proliferation, migration and cell fate determination in the tissue along with early embryonic development and controls the proper activation of the female reproductive system, along with regulating hormonal activity in ovarian granulosa cells. In the current study, we investigated the expression profiles of WNT/β-catenin signalling pathway genes (AXIN2, FZD4, TCF4, WNT3, WNT4, WNT5A, WNT7A, WNT1, APC, GSK3B and β-catenin) in a total of 13 oocyte samples. Seven of these samples were from polycystic women and six were from healthy women. The results of this study displayed the absence of expression of AXIN2, FZD4, TCF4, WNT5A, WNT3, WNT4 and WNT7A genes in ovaries from women with PCOS and from healthy women. While APC and β-catenin expression levels were similar in the oocytes of both patients and controls, conversely, WNT1 and GSK3β genes both showed elevated expression in the oocytes of patients with PCOS, therefore suggesting an association between aberrant expression of WNT1 and GSK3β and the pathogenesis of PCOS. The observations of the current study could be helpful to provide evidence regarding the pathogenesis of PCOS and its treatment.

Keywords

Human oocytePCOSWNT/β-catenin pathway
Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , August 2022 , pp. 536 - 542
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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