Up-regulation of expression of interferon-stimulated gene 15 in the bovine corpus luteum during early pregnancy

Interferon-τ (IFNT), the pregnancy recognition signal in ruminant species, is secreted by conceptus trophectoderm cells and induces expression of IFN-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) in the uterus and corpus luteum (CL) in ewes. Expression of ISG15 in ovine CL is speculated to be through an endocrine pathway, but it is unclear whether expression of ISG15 in bovine CL is via such a pathway. In this study, CL were obtained from cows on d 16, 25, 60, 120, 180, and 270 of pregnancy, and endometrium, mammary gland, ovarian stroma, and CL were also collected from cows on d 18 of pregnancy and on d 15 and 18 of the estrous cycle. All tissue explants from d 15 of the estrous cycle were cultured in the absence or presence of 100ng/mL of recombinant bovine IFNT for 24h. The results indicated that ISG15 and conjugated proteins were expressed in CL of both cyclic and pregnant cows regardless of pregnancy status and were upregulated during early pregnancy. The mammary gland from d 18 of pregnancy did not express ISG15, but explants of the mammary gland from d 15 of the estrous cycle did express ISG15 after being treated with IFNT. However, luteal explants from d 15 of the estrous cycle did not express ISG15 after being cultured for 24h. In conclusion, ISG15 expression is upregulated in the bovine CL during early pregnancy. Interestingly, cultured CL cells do not respond to IFNT, suggesting that the pregnancy-dependent stimulation of ISG15 expression is controlled by something other than IFNT in the bloodstream.