title: Follistatin inhibits the mesoderm-inducing activity of activin A and the vegetalizing factor from chicken embryo.
abstract: The induction of mesoderm is an important process in early amphibian development. In recent studies, activin has become an effective candidate for a natural mesoderm-inducing factor. In the present study, we show that follistatin, an activin-binding protein purified from porcine ovary, inhibits the mesoderm-inducing activity of recombinant human activin A (rh activin A), which is identical to the erythroid differentiation factor (EDF). The quantity of follistatin required for effective suppression of activin was more than three-fold that of activin (w:w). Follistatin also inhibited the mesoderm-inducing activity of the vegetalizing factor purified from chick embryos, suggesting that the vegetalizing factor is closely related to activin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Yokohama City University, 236, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asashima
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Yokohama City University, 236, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Yokohama City University, 236, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.affiliation: Frontier Research Program, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken), 351-01, Wako, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugino
authors.affiliation: Frontier Research Program, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken), 351-01, Wako, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Central Research Laboratories, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., 210, Kawasaki, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuzuru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.affiliation: Central Research Laboratories, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., 210, Kawasaki, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ejima
authors.affiliation: Institut für Molekularbiologic und Biochemie der Freien Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, W-1000, Berlin 33, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davids
authors.affiliation: Institut für Molekularbiologic und Biochemie der Freien Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, W-1000, Berlin 33, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: Sigrun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plessow
authors.affiliation: Institut für Molekularbiologic und Biochemie der Freien Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, W-1000, Berlin 33, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: Ivona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cichocka
authors.affiliation: Biological Laboratory, Nippon Medical School, 211, Nakahara, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
keywords: Activin; FSH; Follistatin; Mesoderm induction; Vegetalizing factor; Xenopus