Shimasaki S, Moore R K, Erickson G F, Otsuka F
Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0633, USA.
Reprod Suppl. 2003;61:323-37.
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) represent the largest subclass of growth factors in the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily. BMPs have proven to be multifunctional regulators of a wide variety of biological processes in numerous types of cell and tissue. The role of inhibins, activins and TGF-betas (which also belong to the TGF-beta superfamily) in reproduction has been studied extensively over the last 15 years. However, there were no reports on the role of BMPs in the mammalian ovary until 1999 when we reported an intrinsic ovarian BMP system replete with BMP ligands, receptors and novel biological functions. Since this report it has become clear that the BMP system plays an important role in the regulation of ovarian function, evidenced by the ability of BMPs to control granulosa cell proliferation and cytodifferentiation, as well as oocyte development. The physiological relevance of the BMP system has recently been highlighted by the discovery that genetic mutations in the BMP-15 ligand or the BMP type IB receptor lead to critical aberrations in folliculogenesis and ovulation. This review provides a current overview of the rapidly emerging field of the BMP system in mammalian ovarian function.
骨形态发生蛋白（BMPs）是转化生长因子β（TGF-β）超家族中最大的生长因子亚类。事实证明，BMPs是多种细胞和组织中多种生物过程的多功能调节因子。在过去15年中，抑制素、激活素和TGF-βs（它们也属于TGF-β超家族）在生殖中的作用已得到广泛研究。然而，直到1999年我们报道了一个完整的卵巢内BMP系统，包括BMP配体、受体和新的生物学功能，才出现关于BMPs在哺乳动物卵巢中作用的报道。自该报道以来，很明显BMP系统在卵巢功能调节中起重要作用，BMPs能够控制颗粒细胞增殖和细胞分化以及卵母细胞发育就证明了这一点。最近，BMP-15配体或BMP I型B受体的基因突变导致卵泡发生和排卵出现严重异常，这突出了BMP系统的生理相关性。本综述对BMP系统在哺乳动物卵巢功能这一迅速发展的领域进行了当前概述。
