Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a member of the TGF-ß superfamily. AMH is well known for its role in Müllerian duct regression in male fetuses. Postnatally, AMH is secreted by granulosa cells (GCs) of small growing follicles (preantral and small antral). However, despite the increasing interest of ovarian AMH in clinics, little is known on its mechanism of action and its role in female reproductive tract. My PhD project focuses on the identification of AMH function in the female reproductive tract.AMH signals through a type II transmembrane serine/threonine kinase receptor (AMHR-II) which forms a complex with a type I serine/threonine kinase receptor (ActR-IA, BMPR-IA, BMPR-IB). The type II receptor phosphorylates serine and threonine residues of type I receptor. Once activated, the type I receptor phosphorylates the receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smad1/5/8) which interact with a common partner Smad4. The Smad complex accumulates into the nucleus and regulates target gene expression. This canonical signalling pathway is regulated at different levels, in particular by co-receptors which amplify or antagonize TGF-ß family members action. The type I receptors and R-Smads involved in AMH effects on post-natal GCs remain unknown. In addition, to date, no co-receptor has been found for AMH. To define the involvement of the different type I receptors, we used siRNA technology to inactivate Acvr1, Bmpr1a and Bmpr1b in GC. In parallele, we analysed GC extracted from conditional mutant mice for Acvr1 and Bmpr1a. We found that BMPR-IA is the most important type I receptor for AMH to transduce its signal in GC. A Smad-Gal4/UAS-luciferase reporter gene technology allowed us to show that Smad1 and 5 are involved in AMH signaling pathway. Recently, new BMPs coreceptors were found, RGMs for Repulsive Guidance Molecules. There are three RGMs : RGMa, b and c. Because AMH shares with BMPs its type I receptors and R-Smad proteins, we hypothesized that they also share the same co-receptors, the RGM. We showed that RGMb was the only one expressed in GC and after siRNA transfection we demonstrated that this coreceptor is not essential for AMH to transduce its signal.To date, only few AMH target genes have been identified. Aromatase (Cyp19a1) and LH receptor (Lhcgr) are down-regulated by AMH in rat and porcine GCs. We used micro-array technology (Affymetrix) by comparing Wt and knockout immature ovaries to find new AMH target genes. This experiment evidenced that Ovgp1 and Kcnj2 are two new potential AMH target genes in the ovary.The last part of my project was to define a potential role of AMH in murine uterus. Only one study showed that AMHR-II is expressed in the mouse myometrium. We showed that Amh gene is slightly expressed in uterus but the results are not confirmed at the protein level. Using PCR-array, we found a lot of differentially expressed genes between Wt and Amh KO uterus. Therefore, AMH could regulate uterine function through the modulation of different genes located in the myometrium.
AMH signaling pathway and its target genes in female reproductive tract