title: Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding a bovine growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) and expression of GDF-9 in bovine ovarian oocytes and in vitro-produced embryos.
abstract: Growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9), a member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, is known to be expressed specifically in ovaries of various mammalian species and to be important for normal follicular development in mice. In the present study, a cDNA encoding for bovine GDF-9 was isolated and characterized, and expression of GDF-9 mRNA in ovarian oocytes and in-vitro-derived embryos was examined. Isolation of bovine GDF-9 was achieved using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers based on an ovine GDF-9 cDNA sequence. A 1385 bp cDNA encodes a deduced 453-amino acid sequence which contains the proregion (318 residues) and the mature protein (135 residues) portion. The deduced amino acid sequence of bovine GDF-9 is 98 and 93% identical to ovine GDF-9 and human GDF-9 in the mature portion of the molecule, respectively. Results from reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis detected bovine GDF-9 mRNA in preantral follicles (150-200 microm in diameter), early antral follicles (400-800 microm in diameter), and immature oocytes, whereas no detectable PCR signal was observed in cumulus/granulosa cells. In addition, bovine GDF-9 mRNA continued to be expressed in developing embryos up to the 8-cell stage, but was undetectable at the blastocyst stage. These findings give rise to new possibilities regarding an additional physiological role of GDF-9 in early embryonic development as well as in the development of follicles.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for the Functional Peptides, Yamagata, Japan. sendai@func-p.co.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sendai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoshi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D055430:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15; D002417:Cattle; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055429:Growth Differentiation Factor 9; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: C525901:BMP15 protein, human; C525902:Bmp15 protein, mouse; D055430:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C525897:GDF9 protein, human; C525898:Gdf9 protein, mouse; D055429:Growth Differentiation Factor 9; D006133:Growth Substances; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins