PUBLICATION
Cloning of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) and EGF Receptor from the Zebrafish Ovary: Evidence for EGF as a Potential Paracrine Factor from the Oocyte to Regulate Activin/Follistatin System in the Follicle Cells
- Authors
- Wang, Y., and Ge, W.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-040505-7
- Date
- 2004
- Source
- Biology of reproduction 71(3): 749-760 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Ge, Wei
- Keywords
- epidermal growth factor, EGF, EGFR, activin, follistatin, ovary, oocyte, follicle cells, zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Cells, Cultured
- Cloning, Molecular
- Epidermal Growth Factor/genetics*
- Epidermal Growth Factor/metabolism
- Epidermal Growth Factor/pharmacology
- Female
- Follistatin/metabolism*
- Gene Expression
- Gonadotropins/pharmacology
- Inhibin-beta Subunits/metabolism*
- Male
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Oocytes/cytology
- Oocytes/physiology
- Ovarian Follicle/cytology
- Ovarian Follicle/physiology*
- Paracrine Communication/drug effects
- Paracrine Communication/physiology
- Sexual Maturation/physiology
- Testis/cytology
- Testis/physiology
- Zebrafish/genetics*
- PubMed
- 15115721 Full text @ Biol. Reprod.
Citation
Wang, Y., and Ge, W. (2004) Cloning of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) and EGF Receptor from the Zebrafish Ovary: Evidence for EGF as a Potential Paracrine Factor from the Oocyte to Regulate Activin/Follistatin System in the Follicle Cells. Biology of reproduction. 71(3):749-760.
Abstract
In the present study, we cloned full-length cDNAs for epidermal growth factor (EGF), EGF receptor (EGFR) and three truncated forms of EGFR (EGFR15, 12 and 8) from the zebrafish ovary. Zebrafish EGF was predominantly expressed in the ovary and testis, while EGFR and its truncated forms were highly expressed in all tissues examined except the liver. In the ovary, the expression of EGF seemed to be more abundant in the follicles of early stages, while EGFR had much higher expression levels at later stages. Interestingly, although EGF was expressed in both the follicle cells and oocytes, its expression level was significantly higher in the oocytes. However, the expression of EGFR was mainly restricted to the follicle cells with little expression in the oocytes. The unique spatial patterns of EGF and EGFR expression within the follicle suggest that EGF may serve as a messenger from the oocyte to signal the follicle cells. EGF strongly stimulated the expression of both activin betaA and betaB, while it suppressed basal and hCG-induced follistatin expression in cultured follicle cells. These results, together with the evidence that EGF was predominantly expressed in the oocytes whereas EGFR was expressed in the follicle cells, strongly suggest that EGF is likely a potential paracrine/justacrine factor from the oocytes to regulate the function of the follicle cells.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping