Fig. 5. P62 targets the OXPHOS signaling pathway to regulate LH and GnRH-induced LH production.

Rescue experiments were conducted in LβT2 cells by silencing p62 with shRNA, and p62 was stably silenced in cells overexpressing Ndufa2 with a plasmid for 48 h, thus generating three groups of LβT2 cells: shRNA-con, p-con; shRNA-p62, p-con; shRNA-p62, p-Ndufa2. a RT-PCR detection of p62 and Ndufa2 to confirm transfection efficiency, n = 3. b, c mRNA detection of Lhb (n = 3) and measurement of supernatant LH (n = 6–8) in each group. d–g Seahorse assay analysis of mitochondrial respiratory function in LβT2 cells, including ATP production, basal respiration, and maximal respiration, in each group, n = 5. h Relative serum LH in p62^flox/flox αGSU^cre and p62^flox/flox female mice treated with vehicle or the GnRH agonist gonadorelin (7.5 µg/kg body weight), n = 3-4. i Relative Lhb mRNA after gonadorelin induction in LβT2 cells, and j supernatant LH concentration level after treatment with the calcium chelator BAPTA (2 mM) or the mitochondrial NADH: ubiquinone reductase inhibitor rotenone (5 μM), with/without gonadorelin (100 nM), n = 4. All data are presented as the mean ± SD. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA and Student’s t-test (b, i). *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P ≤ 0.001.