Proceeding of Veterinary and Animal Science Days 2016, 8th- 10th June, Milan, Italy 

HAF © 2013 

Vol. III, No. 1s  ISSN: 2283-3927 

   

 

l 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keywords 

PGRMC1, nucleolus, nucleolin, 

bovine granulosa cells, ovarian 

follicle 

 

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR 

Laura Terzaghi 

laura.terzaghi@unimi.it 

 

JOURNAL HOME PAGE 

riviste.unimi.it/index.php/haf 

Progesterone Receptor Membrane 

Component-1 (PGRMC1) nucleolar 

localization in bovine granulosa cells and 

its putative interaction with nucleolin. 

L. Terzaghia*, A. M. Lucianoa, S. C. Modinaa, V. Loddea 

 

 

 a Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of 
Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, 
Italy 

 

 Abstract 

PGRMC1 is a multifunctional protein that is found in multiple subcellular compartments, suggesting a 

specific function at each site. Among the several subcellular sites of expression, PGRMC1 was found in 

the nucleolus of human cells (Ahmad et al. 2009) and bovine zygotes (Luciano et al. 2010). However, the 

role at this site is not clear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess whether PGRMC1 modulates 

nucleolar function. Immunofluorescence experiments confirmed nucleolar localization in rat 

spontaneously immortalized granulosa cells, bovine granulosa cells (bGC) and bovine oocytes. 

Moreover, in bGC PGRMC1 co-localizes with nucleolin, a well-known nucleolar marker exerting 

important functions within the nucleolus. Additionally, siRNA mediated gene knockdown experiments 

showed that when PGRMC1 expression is silenced, nucleolin localization shifts from the nucleolus to the 

nucleoplasm, suggesting a PGRMC1/nucleolin functional association. However, in situ proximity ligation 

assay did not detect a direct interaction between these two proteins, suggesting the involvement of 

additional molecules that could mediate PGRMC1/nucleolin interaction. 

In conclusion, these studies suggest a function for PGRMC1 in nucleolar activity and set the stage for 

further investigations aimed at dissecting PGRMC1’s molecular mechanisms of action in the nuclear 

compartment. 

 

References 

Ahmad, Y., F. M. Boisvert, P. Gregor, A. Cobley, and A. I. Lamond. 2009. 'NOPdb: Nucleolar Proteome Database--2008 update', 

Nucleic Acids Res, 37: D181-4. 

Luciano, A. M., V. Lodde, F. Franciosi, F. Ceciliani, and J. J. Peluso. 2010. 'Progesterone receptor membrane component 1 

expression and putative function in bovine oocyte maturation, fertilization, and early embryonic development', 

Reproduction, 140: 663-72. 

 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en