Neeper M, Lowe R, Galuska S, Hofmann K J, Smith R G, Elbrecht A
Merck Research Laboratories, PA 19486, USA.
Gene. 1996 Oct 17;176(1-2):203-9. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(96)00248-x.
Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is responsible for regression of the Müllerian ducts in males during embryonic development. This peptide hormone of the transforming growth factor-beta family is also believed to play a broader role in sex determination, affecting differentiation and morphogenesis of the testes. Accordingly, in mammals, AMH is produced at much higher levels in male fetuses than in female fetuses. In contrast, in birds, both male and female embryonic gonads produce AMH at high levels, although in males it is still responsible for regression of the Müllerian ducts. Its persistent expression by the embryonic ovaries and its role in female sex determination in birds is not understood. We have cloned an avian homologue to AMH. Avian AMH cDNA encodes a 644 amino acid protein that is 42% identical to human AMH overall with increased identity at the carboxyl terminus. Similarities to human AMH include motifs of sequence identity, a conserved putative plasmin cleavage site and cysteine alignments, and similar genomic intron/exon structure. Antibodies to recombinant avian AMH cross-react with recombinant human AMH and were used to show that avian AMH is glycosylated as has been shown for the human form. The avian AMH gene is transcribed in both male and female gonads but not in liver, heart, kidney or muscle.
抗苗勒管激素（AMH）在胚胎发育过程中负责男性苗勒管的退化。这种转化生长因子-β家族的肽类激素也被认为在性别决定中发挥更广泛的作用，影响睾丸的分化和形态发生。因此，在哺乳动物中，雄性胎儿体内AMH的产生水平远高于雌性胎儿。相比之下，在鸟类中，雄性和雌性胚胎性腺都高水平产生AMH，尽管在雄性中它仍然负责苗勒管的退化。其在胚胎卵巢中的持续表达及其在鸟类雌性性别决定中的作用尚不清楚。我们克隆了AMH的鸟类同源物。鸟类AMH cDNA编码一种644个氨基酸的蛋白质，与人类AMH总体上有42%的同一性，在羧基末端同一性更高。与人类AMH的相似之处包括序列同一性基序、保守的假定纤溶酶切割位点和半胱氨酸排列，以及相似的基因组内含子/外显子结构。针对重组鸟类AMH的抗体与重组人类AMH发生交叉反应，并被用于证明鸟类AMH如人类形式一样进行了糖基化。鸟类AMH基因在雄性和雌性性腺中都有转录，但在肝脏、心脏、肾脏或肌肉中不转录。
