Protein and mRNA expression of follicle‐stimulating hormone receptor and luteinizing hormone receptor during the oestrus in the yak (Bos grunniens)

Follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) have a central role in follicle growth, maturation and oestrus, but no clear pathway in the seasonal oestrus of yak (Bos grunniens) has been found. To better understand the role of FSH and LH in seasonal oestrus in the yak, six yaks were slaughtered while in oestrus, and the pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonads were collected. Using real‐time PCR and immunohistochemical assays, we determined the mRNA and protein expression of the FSH and LH receptors (FSHR and LHR) in these organs. The analysis showed that the FSHR mRNA expression level was higher in the pituitary gland tissue compared with LHR (p < .01) during oestrus. By contrast, there was low expression of FSHR and LHR mRNA in the pineal gland and hypothalamus. FSHR mRNA expression was higher than that of LHR (p < .05) in the ovary, whereas LHR mRNA expression was higher than that of FSHR (p < .01) in the uterus. FSHR and LHR proteins were located in the pinealocyte, synaptic ribbon and synaptic spherules of the pineal gland and that FSH and LH interact via nerve fibres. In the hypothalamus, FSHR and LHR proteins were located in the magnocellular neurons and parvocellular neurons. FSHR and LHR proteins were localized in acidophilic cells and basophilic cells in the pituitary gland, and in surface epithelium, stromal cell and gland epithelium in the uterus. In the ovary, FSHR and LHR protein were present in the ovarian follicle. Thus, we concluded that FSHR and LHR are located in the pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary and gonad during oestrus in the yak. However, FSHR was mainly expressed in the pituitary gland and ovaries, whereas LHR was mainly expressed in the pituitary gland and uterus.