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Expression of GDF-9, BMP-15 and their receptors in mammalian ovary follicles

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Abstract

The synergetic process of folliculogenesis is mainly regulated by GDF-9 and BMP-15 as well as their receptors, such as BMPR2, TβR1 and BMPR1B. Expressions of these factors and the receptors are significant different among species. This study was designed to detect expression of GDF-9, BMP-15 and their receptors in mouse, porcine and human healthy follicles by immunohistochemistry. Three ages of human ovary were studied according to ovarian developmental schedule, i.e. gestational week (GW) 16, puberty (14 year-old) and adult (40 year-old). The results showed that both GDF-9 and BMP-15 were detectable in oocytes from primary follicles onward, besides, BMP-15 also presented in granulosa cells (GCs) and follicular follicle of mature follicles in mouse. However, they were maintained in oocytes and GCs from primordial to mature follicles in porcine except that GDF-9 was undetectable in GCs of mature follicles. For human ovary, GDF-9 presented in oocytes of primordial follicles in all samples, whereas BMP-15 was only observed in primordial follicle of adult ovary. Receptors, BMPR2, TβR1 and BMPR1B were found in oocytes and GCs of all follicles in mouse and porcine. In human, they were stained in oocytes from primordial follices but BMPR1B was not expressed in pubertal primordial follicles. Furthermore, we found that GDF-9, BMP-15 and three receptors distributed in adult corpus lutea. Collectively, our studies suggested that GDF-9, BMP-15 and their receptors might correlate with primordial follicular recruitment in pig and human. Positive expression of the receptors (BMPR2, TβR1 and BMPR1B)in primordial follicles of mouse ovaries indicated that these receptors might interact with others ligands besides GDF-9 and BMP-15 to regulate primordial follicular activity in mouse. Moreover, presence of GDF-9 in oocytes and BMP-15 in oocytes and GCs of mature follicles from mice and porcine elucidated coordinated roles of GDF-9 and BMP-15 in cumulus oophorus expansion. Additionally, expression of these factors in adult human corpus lutea suggested they play roles in corpus luteum activity.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the High-Tech Research and Development (863) Programme “Studies of efficiently bisection, cryopreservation and molecular label of domestic animal embryos” (2008AA101007) and the Specialist Funding from the Education Department of Heilongjiang Province (1153-NCET-007). The authors thank the Department of Forensic Medicine of Harbin Medical University for providing materials. The experiments performed in this study complied with the current laws and regulations in the People’s Republic of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, 150081, Harbin, China

    R. Z. Sun, L. Lei, L. Cheng, S. J. Zu & Z. Y. Shan

  2. College of Animal Science and Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018, Huhhot, China

    R. Z. Sun & J. X. Zhang

  3. Department of Forensic Medicine, Harbin Medical University, 150081, Harbin, China

    Z. F. Jin

  4. College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, 150031, Harbin, China

    Z. D. Wang & Z. H. Liu

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  1. R. Z. Sun
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  2. L. Lei
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Correspondence to Z. H. Liu.

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R. Z. Sun and L. Lei contributed equally to this work.

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Sun, R.Z., Lei, L., Cheng, L. et al. Expression of GDF-9, BMP-15 and their receptors in mammalian ovary follicles. J Mol Hist 41, 325–332 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-010-9294-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-010-9294-2

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