A novel growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) related factor is co-expressed with GDF-9 in mouse oocytes during folliculogenesis.
Growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) is a transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) family member which is expressed in the oocytes in mouse ovaries (McGrath, S.A., Esquela, A.F., Lee, S.J., 1995. Oocyte-specific expression of growth/differentiation factor-9. Mol. Endocrinol. 9, 131-136). GDF-9 is indispensable for normal folliculogenesis since female mice deficient for the GDF-9 gene are infertile due to an arrest of follicular growth at the primary follicle stage (Dong, J., Albertini, D.F., Nishimori, K., Kumar, T.R. , Lu, N., Matzuk, M.M., 1996. Growth differentiation factor-9 is required during early ovarian folliculogenesis. Nature 383, 531-535). We searched the GenBank Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) database with the mouse GDF-9 cDNA sequence, and identified from a mouse 2-cell embryo library an EST cDNA that encodes a putative member of the TGF-b superfamily, and named it as GDF-9B. Northern blot hybridization analyses of mouse ovaries revealed a single transcript of approximately 4.0 kilobases (kb) for GDF-9B and of 2.0 kb for GDF-9. We cloned by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from mouse ovarian RNA a partial 821-base pair GDF-9B cDNA that spans the sequence encoding the putative mature region of GDF-9B. The COOH-terminal region of GDF-9B appears to be 53% homologous to GDF-9. Moreover, like GDF-9, GDF-9B lacks the cysteine residue needed for the covalent dimerization of several TGF-b family members. Using in situ hybridization analysis, we demonstrate that GDF-9B and GDF-9 mRNAs are co-localized in the oocyte. We also show that GDF-9B and GDF-9 genes are co-ordinately expressed during follicular development.
Laitinen
M
M
Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Haartman Institute, P.O. Box 21, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland. mplaitin@cc.helsinki.fi
Vuojolainen
K
K
Jaatinen
R
R
Ketola
I
I
Aaltonen
J
J
Lehtonen
E
E
Heikinheimo
M
M
Ritvos
O
O
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D055430:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055429:Growth Differentiation Factor 9; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
C525902:Bmp15 protein, mouse; D055430:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15; D004527:Egg Proteins; C525898:Gdf9 protein, mouse; D055429:Growth Differentiation Factor 9; D006133:Growth Substances; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger