ENZYMMUSTER UND PROGESTERONSYNTHESE
ABSTRACT During the maturation of follicles and corpora lutea in the rabbit ovary the activity levels of oxidoreductases of glycolysis, citric acid cycle, glycerophosphate cycle, pentose phosphate shunt as well as the Δ5,3β-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase were studied in granulosa cells by histochemical technique. While the oxidoreductases of the glycolysis, the citric acid cycle and glycerophosphate cycle show continuously unvaried activities a remarkable increase was found regarding the activities of NADPH2-supplying enzymes and Δ5,3β-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase before resp. after ovulation. According to these relations the granulosa cells of rabbit ovary cannot produce progesterone prior to 8 hours after ovulation. Furthermore, the analysis of the sequence and the functional role of enzyme activation in the granulosa cells allows some conclusions about the mechanism of gonadotrophin action influencing the metabolism of steroid hormone producing cells.