[Expression pattern of mRNA for follistatin and inhibin/activin beta B-subunit during follicular and testicular development in duck].
Follistatin and inhibin/activin were closely related glycoprotein hormones. The quantitative competitive RT-PCR was used to investigate the expression of follistatin and inhibin/activin beta B-subunit mRNA in the developing ovarian follicles, immature and mature testes. The results revealed all samples showed the expression of mRNA for the two proteins, and the expression is more abundantly in the small follicles than in the large preovulatory follicles. Competitive RT-PCR revealed that the expression of follistatin is the highest in small yellow follicles (SYF), the mean relative content for the F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6-8, LWF (large white follicle), TI(immature testes), and TM(mature testes) was 0.011 +/- 0.004, 0.019 +/- 0.006, 0.021 +/- 0.009, 0.028 +/- 0.007, 0.075 +/- 0.023, 0.15 +/- 0.072, 0.29 +/- 0.068, 0.037 +/- 0.011, and 0.012 +/- 0.004, respectively, compared to a mean relative content of 1.00 for the SYF. The highest level of inhibin/activin beta B mRNA was also found in the SYF, the mean relative content for the F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6-8, LWF, TI, and TM was 0.009 +/- 0.003, 0.013 +/- 0.005, 0.019 +/- 0.007, 0.023 +/- 0.006, 0.29 +/- 0.084, 0.84 +/- 0.093, 0.031 +/- 0.008, 0.38 +/- 0.072, and 0.046 +/- 0.013, respectively, compared to a mean relative content of 1.00 for the SYF. Our data suggested that the expression pattern of mRNA for follistatin and inhibin/activin beta B-subunit was quite similar during follicular and testicular development. The great co-expression of mRNA for the two proteins in small follicles indicated that activin B(beta B-beta B) availability was tightly regulated by follistatin, and the two proteins might both play important roles in early follicular development.
Fu
Y
Y
Animal Science College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
Niu
D
D
Ruan
H
H
Yu
X P
XP
Chen
G
G
He
G Q
GQ
Yang
P X
PX
D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D004372:Ducks; D005260:Female; D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D007265:Inhibins / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*
D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010455:Peptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C044147:activin B; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins