
%0 Journal Article
%A Yoshioka, K. 
%A Takata, M. 
%A Taniguchi, T. 
%A Yamanaka, H. 
%A Sekikawa, K. 
%T Differential expression of activin subunits, activin receptors and follistatin genes in bovine oocytes and preimplantation embryos
%J Reproduction, Fertility and Development
%D 1999/02/04
%V 10
%N 3
%P 293-298
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/R98011
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/R98011 
%X The presence of inhibin subunits (&#945;, &#946;A and &#946;B), activin binding protein follistatin and activin receptors (ActR-I, ActR-IB, ActR-II and ActR-IIB) mRNA transcripts in bovine oocytes and preimplantation embryos was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Immature and matured oocytes, zygotes, 2-cell, 3&#8211;4-cell, 5&#8211;8-cell, 9&#8211;16-cell embryos, morulae, blastocysts and hatched blastocysts were produced by in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture for this study. Activin &#946;A subunit and follistatin transcripts were detected in all of the stages tested. However, &#945; subunit transcripts were detected only in oocytes (immature and matured), blastocysts and hatched blastocysts, and no &#946;B subunit transcripts were found in any of the stages. Whereas ActR-I transcripts were detectable in all stages, ActR-IB transcripts were not detectable in oocytes or embryos except in matured oocytes. Activin type II receptors (ActR-II and ActR-IIB) transcripts were detectable in oocytes and embryos except for ActR-IIB, which was not found in the 5&#8211;8-cell stage embryos. The results suggest that bovine embryos may produce activin A (homodimer of the &#946;A subunits) at least from zygotes to morulae. Furthermore, bovine oocytes and embryos express the activin receptors mainly by the combination of ActR-I and either ActR-II or ActR-IIB. 
