title: Differential expression and regulation by activin of the neurotrophins BDNF and NT4 during human and mouse ovarian development.
abstract: The tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk) B neurotrophin receptor is essential for ovarian germ cell survival and primordial follicle formation, but the contributions of its ligands, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-4 (NT4), are unknown. We have investigated their expression and regulation in developing human and mouse ovaries. BDNF expression increased with increasing gestation, expression of human NTF4 and of both Ntf5 and Bdnf in the mouse was unchanged. Bdnf expression was dramatically lower than Ntf5 in the mouse, but levels were comparable in the human. Human fetal ovarian somatic cells expressed BDNF. Activin A selectively regulated BDNF and Ntf5 expression in human and mouse, respectively, identifying an oocyte/somatic signaling pathway which might mediate the pro-survival effects of activin. These data reveal that expression and regulation of the TrkB ligands are differentially controlled in the developing ovaries of humans and mice, and identify BDNF as a potential regulator of germ cell fate in the human fetal ovary.
authors.affiliation: MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit, Centre for Reproductive Biology, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom. a.childs@hrsu.mrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Childs
authors.forename: Rosemary A L
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bayne
authors.forename: Alison A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Martins Da Silva
authors.forename: Craig S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Norah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Spears
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010063:Ovum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; C071951:neurotrophin 5; C073922:neurotrophin 4