BACKGROUND We have demonstrated that growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) enhances activin A-induced inhibin β(B)-subunit mRNA levels in human granulosa-lutein (hGL) cells by regulating receptors and key intracellular components of the activin signaling pathway. However, we could not exclude its effects on follistatin (FST) and follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3), well recognized extracellular inhibit...

The oocyte-secreted polypeptide growth factors, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15, also known as GDF9B) have both been shown to be essential for ovarian follicular development and ovulation rate. In addition, it is known from both in vivo and in vitro studies that these factors co-operate in some manner. To date, most studies examining the in vitro ...

Recent advances in genomic sequencing allow a new paradigm in hormonal research, and a comparative genomic approach facilitates the identification of receptors and signalling mechanisms for orphan ligands of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) superfamily. Instead of purifying growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) receptor proteins for identification, we hypothesized that GDF9, like ...

21 Vertebrate oocytes actively contribute to follicle development by secreting a variety of 22 growth factors, among which bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15/Bmp15) and 23 growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9/Gdf9) have been paid particular attention. In the 24 present study, we describe the cellular localization, the developmental profiles, and the 25 response to unilateral ovariectomy (a p...

Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) belongs to the transforming growth factor β superfamily and plays a critical role in ovarian follicular development and ovulation rate. We examined the bovine GDF9 gene polymorphism and analyzed its association with superovulation performance. Based on the sequence of the bovine GDF9 gene, six pairs of primers were designed to detect single nucleotide...

BACKGROUND Successful oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) would eliminate the need for hormonal stimulation used in assisted reproduction techniques. Unfortunately, oocytes matured in vitro have compromised developmental competence possibly due to disrupted oocyte-cumulus communication resulting from inappropriate levels of oocyte-secreted factors such as growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9). He...

Ovarian folliculogenesis is driven by the combined action of endocrine cues and paracrine factors. The oocyte secretes powerful mitogens, such as growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9), that regulate granulosa cell proliferation, metabolism, steroidogenesis and differentiation. This study investigated the role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase ...

Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) are two proteins selectively expressed in the oocyte which are essential for normal fertility. Both of these proteins are members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) superfamily and as such are produced as pre-proproteins, existing after proteolytic processing as a complex of the respective pro and matur...

Members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) superfamily are critical regulators of germ cell development that act as extracellular ligands of the signal transduction pathways regulating proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and other aspects of cell behavior. Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) is a member of the TGFβ superfamily that plays a critical role in ovarian follicular d...

BACKGROUND Multiple births occur frequently in some Iranian sheep breeds, while infertility scarcely occurs. Mutation detection in major fecundity genes has been explored in most of Iranian sheep flocks over the last decade. However, previously reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for bone morphogenetic protein receptor-(BMPR)-1B and growth differentiation factor ) GDF9( known to aff...