Inhibin alpha beta heterodimers and beta beta homodimers are gonadal gene products important in the feedback regulation of pituitary FSH release, whereas fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are mitogens for diverse cell types. Recently, inhibins (alpha beta dimers), activins (beta beta dimers) and several growth factors have been shown to be important intragonadal hormones that are synthesized by the gonadal cells, have specific gonadal receptors and modulate specific genes in the ovary and testis. Following the purification and cloning of inhibin subunit genes, we have studied the expression, biosynthesis and action of inhibin and activin in gonadal cells. We have also demonstrated the regulation of gonadal steroidogenesis by basic FGF and EGF through specific receptors. We now continue out work 1) to study the regulation of inhibin alpha and beta antigens and message levels by trophic agents and steroids in granulosa cells and an equine granulosa cell tumor using RNA blotting, immunoblotting and RIA analysis, 2) to analyze tissue distribution as well as hormonal regulation of basic FGF and EGF message and antigen levels in granulosa, theca and luteal cells using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization, RNA blotting and immunoblotting, 3) to study the intraovarian actions of activin and growth factors by monitoring inhibin biosynthesis, oocyte maturation and an ovarian protease expression as well as by quantitating the regulation of receptor content for activin and basic FGF, 4) to study the hormonal regulation of the expression of inhibin subunits, EGF and basic FGF in testis cells and 5) to isolate mouse inhibin alpha and beta cDNA and the inhibin alpha gene in order to analyze DNA sequences involved in inhibin alpha subunit expression. The proposed studies should provide information on the role of inhibin-related proteins and the growth factors in intragonadal control mechanisms, serving as the basis for understanding the hormonal control of follicle maturation, ovulation, luteinization and gonadal differentiation.
| Muenster, Uwe; Korupolu, Radhika; Rastogi, Ratindra et al. (2011) Antagonism of activin by activin chimeras. Vitam Horm 85:105-28 |
| Kim, Meejung; Choe, Senyon (2011) BMPs and their clinical potentials. BMB Rep 44:619-34 |
| Valera, Elvira; Isaacs, Michael J; Kawakami, Yasuhiko et al. (2010) BMP-2/6 heterodimer is more effective than BMP-2 or BMP-6 homodimers as inductor of differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. PLoS One 5:e11167 |
| Isaacs, Michael J; Kawakami, Yasuhiko; Allendorph, George P et al. (2010) Bone morphogenetic protein-2 and -6 heterodimer illustrates the nature of ligand-receptor assembly. Mol Endocrinol 24:1469-77 |
| Looyenga, Brendan D; Wiater, Ezra; Vale, Wylie et al. (2010) Inhibin-A antagonizes TGFbeta2 signaling by down-regulating cell surface expression of the TGFbeta coreceptor betaglycan. Mol Endocrinol 24:608-20 |
| Hassold, Terry; Hunt, Patricia (2009) Maternal age and chromosomally abnormal pregnancies: what we know and what we wish we knew. Curr Opin Pediatr 21:703-8 |
| Wiater, Ezra; Lewis, Kathy A; Donaldson, Cynthia et al. (2009) Endogenous betaglycan is essential for high-potency inhibin antagonism in gonadotropes. Mol Endocrinol 23:1033-42 |
| Cheng, Edith Y; Hunt, Patricia A; Naluai-Cecchini, Theresa A et al. (2009) Meiotic recombination in human oocytes. PLoS Genet 5:e1000661 |
| Ciarmela, Pasquapina; Wiater, Ezra; Smith, Sean M et al. (2009) Presence, actions, and regulation of myostatin in rat uterus and myometrial cells. Endocrinology 150:906-14 |
| Blount, Amy L; Vaughan, Joan M; Vale, Wylie W et al. (2008) A Smad-binding element in intron 1 participates in activin-dependent regulation of the follistatin gene. J Biol Chem 283:7016-26 |
Showing the most recent 10 out of 258 publications
