Shimasaki Shunichi, Moore R Kelly, Otsuka Fumio, Erickson Gregory F
Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093-0633, USA.
Endocr Rev. 2004 Feb;25(1):72-101. doi: 10.1210/er.2003-0007.
Using molecular, cellular, and genetic approaches, recent studies examining the role of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family of growth factors in the reproductive system have led to significant breakthroughs in our understanding of mammalian reproduction and fertility. Gene expression studies have revealed that key components of the BMP system (ligands, receptors, signaling molecules, and binding proteins) exhibit coordinated spatial and temporal expression patterns in fundamental cell types throughout the reproductive system. Availability of recombinant BMPs has enabled functional studies that have demonstrated important biological activities of BMPs in controlling cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in reproductive tissues. The physiological importance of the BMP system for mammalian reproduction has been further highlighted by the elucidation of the aberrant reproductive phenotypes of animals with naturally occurring mutations or targeted deletions of certain BMP family genes. Collectively, these studies have established the concept that the BMP system plays a crucial role in fertility in female and male mammals. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence underpinning the importance of the BMP system in mammalian reproduction.
利用分子、细胞和遗传学方法，近期有关生长因子骨形态发生蛋白（BMP）家族在生殖系统中作用的研究，使我们对哺乳动物生殖和生育能力的理解取得了重大突破。基因表达研究表明，BMP系统的关键成分（配体、受体、信号分子和结合蛋白）在整个生殖系统的基本细胞类型中呈现出协调的时空表达模式。重组BMP的可得性使得功能研究得以开展，这些研究证明了BMP在控制生殖组织中的细胞增殖、分化和凋亡方面具有重要的生物学活性。对具有某些BMP家族基因自然发生突变或靶向缺失的动物异常生殖表型的阐明，进一步凸显了BMP系统对哺乳动物生殖的生理重要性。总体而言，这些研究确立了这样一个概念，即BMP系统在雌性和雄性哺乳动物的生育能力中起着至关重要的作用。本文的目的是综述支持BMP系统在哺乳动物生殖中重要性的证据。
