Figure 6.

Schematic model depicting the role of miR-122 in the regulation of LHR in rat granulosa cells. The model depicted in the figure represents how miR-122 regulates LHR expression by modulating the levels of its binding protein LRBP in the ovaries. The dashed line indicates that several steps might be involved in this process. miR-122 directly targets Insig1 mRNA and induces its degradation, thereby decreasing its expression and removing its inhibitory effect on SREBP activation. SREBP processing in different intracellular organelles has been established previously (27, 28). During FSH-mediated upregulation of LHR, expression of miR-122 is suppressed, thereby inhibiting the LRBP-mediated degradation pathway and facilitating increases in LHR mRNA expression.