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Cloning of Transforming Growth Factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and Its Type II Receptor from Zebrafish Ovary and Role of TGF-ß1 in Oocyte Maturation

Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Chun Peng, Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3. E-mail: cpeng{at}yorku.ca.

TGF-ß is a multifunctional factor involved in regulating a variety of cellular activities. In mammals, TGF-ß is known to regulate reproduction, including ovarian functions. The role of TGF-ß in lower vertebrates, such as fish, is poorly understood. To examine the role of TGF-ß in fish reproduction, cDNAs encoding TGF-ß1 and the type II TGF-ß receptor (TßRII) were cloned from the zebrafish ovary using PCR- based strategies. The mature peptide region of the zebrafish TGF-ß1 shows 70–85% identity with TGF-ß1 from other species. The zebrafish TßRII cDNA sequence is the first to be reported from a fish species, and it shows a high level of conservation at the kinase domain. Using RT-PCR, we have detected mRNA expression of TGF-ß1, TßRII, as well as its downstream signaling molecules Smad2, 3, and 4 in ovarian follicles at different stages of development. In addition, we have examined the effect of TGF-ß1 on oocyte maturation. TGF-ß1 significantly inhibited both gonadotropin- and 17, 20ß-dihydroxyprogesterone-induced oocyte maturation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, that TGF-ß1 plays a role in regulating oocyte maturation in fish and suggest that a TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathway is present in the zebrafish ovary.

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