title: Expression of TGF-beta s and TGF-beta type II receptor mRNAs in mouse folliculogenesis: stored maternal TGF-beta 2 message in oocytes.
abstract: The present in situ hybridisation study describes expression of TGF-beta 1, TGF-beta 2, TGF-beta 3, and TGF-beta type II receptor mRNA during follicular development, and the temporal pattern and abundance of TGF-beta 2 transcripts in early pre-implantation embryos. TGF-beta 1 hybridisation signals were most prominent in the outer granulosa cell layers of the post-antral follicles and in the corpus luteum, whereas strong expression of TGF-beta type II receptor mRNA was confined to thecal cells. Weak TGF-beta 3 mRNA expression was observed in all major cell types of pre- and post-antral follicles. Most notably, the very strong TGF-beta 2 hybridisation signals which were detected in developing oocytes declined rapidly following fertilization. Although still abundant in two-cell embryos, TGF-beta 2 hybridisation signals were barely detectable in four- and eight-cell embryos. These findings, and the presence of specific sequence motifs in the 3' untranslated region of TGF-beta 2 mRNAs, suggest that TGF-beta 2 transcripts are stored as maternal messages.
authors.affiliation: Ciba-Geigy Ltd, Pharma Division, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van der Putten
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: McMaster
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bilbe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D015347:RNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013480:Superovulation; D013799:Theca Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015347:RNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II