Trombly Daniel J, Woodruff Teresa K, Mayo Kelly E
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Cell Biology and Center for Reproductive Science, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Semin Reprod Med. 2009 Jan;27(1):14-23. doi: 10.1055/s-0028-1108006. Epub 2009 Feb 5.
Primordial follicle formation and the subsequent transition of follicles to the primary and secondary stages encompass the early events during folliculogenesis in mammals. These processes establish the ovarian follicle pool and prime follicles for entry into subsequent growth phases during the reproductive cycle. Perturbations during follicle formation can affect the size of the primordial follicle pool significantly, and alterations in follicle transition can cause follicles to arrest at immature stages or result in premature depletion of the follicle reserve. Determining the molecular events that regulate primordial follicle formation and early follicle growth may lead to the development of new fertility treatments. Over the last decade, many of the growth factors and signaling proteins that mediate the early stages of folliculogenesis have been identified using mouse genetic models, in vivo injection studies, and ex vivo organ culture approaches. These studies reveal important roles for the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily of proteins in the ovary. This article reviews these roles for TGF-beta family proteins and focuses in particular on work from our laboratories on the functions of activin in early folliculogenesis.
原始卵泡的形成以及随后卵泡向初级和次级阶段的转变涵盖了哺乳动物卵泡发生过程中的早期事件。这些过程建立了卵巢卵泡库，并使卵泡为进入生殖周期的后续生长阶段做好准备。卵泡形成过程中的干扰会显著影响原始卵泡库的大小，而卵泡转变的改变会导致卵泡停滞在未成熟阶段或导致卵泡储备过早耗尽。确定调节原始卵泡形成和早期卵泡生长的分子事件可能会带来新的生育治疗方法。在过去十年中，许多介导卵泡发生早期阶段的生长因子和信号蛋白已通过小鼠遗传模型、体内注射研究和体外器官培养方法得以鉴定。这些研究揭示了蛋白质转化生长因子β（TGF-β）超家族在卵巢中的重要作用。本文综述了TGF-β家族蛋白的这些作用，并特别关注我们实验室关于激活素在早期卵泡发生中的功能的研究工作。
