Prostaglandins (PGs) are a class of fatty-acid derived hormones that are essential in ovulation of teleosts, but their exact role remains unknown. One putative target of PGs in ovulation is regulation of the expression of members of the A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) family, which are implicated in follicular rupture. This study investigated the regulation of ADAMTS, other proteases, and their inhibitors in response to treatment with PGE₂ or PGF_2α. Four members of the ADAMTS family, ADAMTS1, ADAMTS5, ADAMTS9, and ADAMTS16 were shown to be expressed in the ovary of zebrafish, but only adamts1 was upregulated in full-grown follicles following treatment with PGE₂. Inhibitors of the PG receptors EP1 and EP2 had no effect on PGE₂-stimulated adamts1 expression, while treatment of full-grown follicles with both PGE₂ and GW627368x, an inhibitor of EP4 function, prevented the PGE₂-induced increase in adamts1 expression. Treatment of full-grown follicles with the maturation-inducing hormone 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20β-P) in vitro had no effect on the expression of adamts1 mRNA. These findings suggest that expression of ADAMTS1 in zebrafish ovarian follicles is regulated by the prostaglandin PGE₂ via the EP4 series prostaglandin receptor.

前列腺素 (PGs) 是一类脂肪酸衍生的激素，对硬骨鱼的排卵至关重要，但它们的确切作用仍然未知。PG 在排卵中的一个推定目标是调节 A 去整合素和金属蛋白酶与血小板反应蛋白基序 (ADAMTS) 家族成员的表达，这与卵泡破裂有关。本研究调查了 ADAMTS、其他蛋白酶及其抑制剂对 PGE ₂或 PGF _2α治疗的反应。ADAMTS 家族的四个成员 ADAMTS1、ADAMTS5、ADAMTS9 和 ADAMTS16 显示在斑马鱼的卵巢中表达，但在用 PGE _{2处理后，只有}adamts1在成熟卵泡中上调. PG 受体 EP1 和 EP2 的抑制剂对 PGE ₂刺激的adamts1表达没有影响，而用 PGE ₂和 EP4 功能抑制剂 GW627368x处理成熟的卵泡可防止 PGE ₂诱导的adamts1表达增加。体外用成熟诱导激素17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20β-P)处理成熟卵泡对adamts1 mRNA的表达没有影响。这些发现表明，斑马鱼卵泡中 ADAMTS1 的表达受前列腺素 PGE ₂通过 EP4 系列前列腺素受体的调节。