Programmed Cell Death Proteins as Corpus Luteum Saviors: Examining the Role of PD-L1 in Luteal Rescue
Open Access
Author:
Winn, Madeline Grace
Area of Honors:
Animal Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Joy Lee Pate, Thesis Supervisor Troy Ott, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
cow corpus luteum reproduction PD-L1 Madeline
Abstract:
Bovine pregnancy is dependent upon rescue of the corpus luteum (CL) by conceptusderived interferon tau. This process prevents luteolysis and ensures the continued production of
the critical pregnancy hormone, progesterone, by the CL. Luteolysis is a highly regulated process
that is dependent on a number of factors, including many immunological processes. Recent
research showed that abundance of PD-L1 mRNA, encoding a ligand on the surface of somatic
cells that down-regulates T-cell cytokine release, was greater in early pregnancy than in the
estrous cycle. This indicates that PD-L1 may be a factor in control of luteal rescue. This
experiment was designed with two objectives: to determine how PD-L1 protein expression
changes in the CL over the course of early pregnancy and comparing the estrous cycle and
pregnancy, and to determine if interferon tau changes PD-L1 protein expression in cultured luteal
cells. It will give insight into the process of luteal rescue, which is a critical area of study to
improve dairy cow fertility.
