
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Yoshioka, K. 
A1  - Takata, M. 
A1  - Taniguchi, T. 
A1  - Yamanaka, H. 
A1  - Sekikawa, K. 
T1  - Differential expression of activin subunits, activin receptors and follistatin genes in bovine oocytes and preimplantation embryos
JF  - Reproduction, Fertility and Development
JO  - Reprod. Fertil. Dev.
Y1  - 1999
VL  - 10
IS  - 3
SP  - 293
EP  - 298
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/R98011 
N2  - 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. 
ER  -

