NCBI Summary:
Calpains are a ubiquitous, well-conserved family of calcium-dependent, cysteine proteases. Calpain families have been implicated in neurodegenerative processes, as their activation can be triggered by calcium influx and oxidative stress. Calpain I and II are heterodimeric with distinct large subunits associated with common small subunits, all of which are encoded by different genes. This gene encodes a small subunit common to both calpain I and II and is associated with myotonic dystrophy.
General function
Enzyme
Comment
Cellular localization
Cytoplasmic
Comment
Ovarian function
Follicle development, Luteinization
Comment
Gladney CD, et al
Differential display PCR (ddPCR) and complementary DNA microarray analyses were used to evaluate gene expression differences in porcine ovarian follicles between a line of pigs selected for an index of ovulation rate and embryo survival (Line I) and its randomly selected control line (Line C). Follicles (4.0 to 7.0 mm) were dissected from ovaries of multiparous sows (n = 27) at either 2 or 4 d following PGF2alpha analog injection on d 12 to 14 of the estrous cycle. Using ddPCR, differentially expressed bands (n = 282) were excised from gels and 107 were sequenced, yielding 84 unique porcine follicle expressed sequence tags. Northern hybridization confirmed differential expression (between lines, days, or follicle sizes) for messenger RNA representing the calpain I light subunit.
Expression regulated by
LH
Comment
Gene expression increased. Luteinization of porcine preovulatory follicles leads to systematic changes in follicular gene expression. Agca C et al. The LH surge initiates the luteinization of preovulatory follicles and causes hormonal and structural changes that ultimately lead to ovulation and the formation of corpora lutea. The objective of the study was to examine gene expression in ovarian follicles (n = 11) collected from pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) approaching estrus (estrogenic preovulatory follicle; n = 6 follicles from two sows) and in ovarian follicles collected from pigs on the second day of estrus (preovulatory follicles that were luteinized but had not ovulated; n = 5 follicles from two sows). The follicular status within each follicle was confirmed by follicular fluid analyses of estradiol and progesterone ratios. Microarrays were made from expressed sequence tags that were isolated from cDNA libraries of porcine ovary. Gene expression was measured by hybridization of fluorescently labeled cDNA (preovulatory estrogenic or -luteinized) to the microarray. Microarray analyses detected 107 and 43 genes whose expression was decreased or increased (respectively) during the transition from preovulatory estrogenic to -luteinized (P<0.01). Cells within preovulatory estrogenic follicles had a gene-expression profile of proliferative and metabolically active cells that were responding to oxidative stress. Cells within preovulatory luteinized follicles had a gene-expression profile of nonproliferative and migratory cells with angiogenic properties. Approximately, 40% of the discovered genes had unknown function.