PUBLICATION
Activin, inhibin, and follistatin in zebrafish ovary: expression and role in oocyte maturation
- Authors
- Wu, T.T., Patel, H., Mukai, S., Melino, C., Garg, R., Ni, X.Y., Chang, J.B., and Peng, C.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-000616-2
- Date
- 2000
- Source
- Biology of reproduction 62(6): 1585-1592 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Peng, Chun
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Activins
- Alternative Splicing
- Animals
- Chorionic Gonadotropin/pharmacology
- Female
- Follistatin
- Glycoproteins/analysis
- Glycoproteins/genetics
- Glycoproteins/physiology*
- Hydroxyprogesterones/pharmacology
- Inhibins/analysis
- Inhibins/physiology*
- Oocytes/physiology*
- Ovary/chemistry*
- Zebrafish*
- PubMed
- 10819759 Full text @ Biol. Reprod.
Citation
Wu, T.T., Patel, H., Mukai, S., Melino, C., Garg, R., Ni, X.Y., Chang, J.B., and Peng, C. (2000) Activin, inhibin, and follistatin in zebrafish ovary: expression and role in oocyte maturation. Biology of reproduction. 62(6):1585-1592.
Abstract
Activins, inhibins, and follistatins are important regulators of mammalian reproduction. However, their roles in lower vertebrates are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the expression of activin A, inhibin A, and follistatins in the zebrafish ovary and determined their role in final oocyte maturation. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with primers specific for activin/inhibin beta(A) subunit and for follistatins, we detected DNA fragments of the expected size, which, upon sequencing, conformed to activin/inhibin beta(A) and follistatin. Western blot analysis using an antibody against activin/inhibin beta(A) subunit revealed two bands with sizes similar to those of activin A and inhibin A. The expression of follistatins was also confirmed by Western blot analysis. These results suggest that activin A, an inhibin A-like molecule, and follistatins are expressed in the zebrafish ovary. In cultured zebrafish follicles, activin A and inhibin A both induced final oocyte maturation in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of activin A and inhibin A were blocked by their binding protein, follistatin-288. Interestingly, follistatin-288 also inhibited final oocyte maturation induced by gonadotropin and by maturation-inducing hormone (MIH), suggesting that activin A and/or inhibin A may be local regulators mediating gonadotropin- and MIH-induced final oocyte maturation. Taken together, these findings suggest that activin A and inhibin A are paracrine regulators of ovarian functions in fish.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping