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Bone Morphogenetic Protein-15 in the Zebrafish Ovary: Complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acid Cloning, Genomic Organization, Tissue Distribution, and Role in Oocyte Maturation

Department of Biology (E.C., G.K., C.P.), York University, Toronto, Canada M3J 1P3; Serono Research Institute (R.K.C.), Rockland, Massachusetts 02370; Marine Biological Laboratory (R.K.C.), Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543; and Department of Reproductive Medicine (S.Sha., S.Shi.), University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0633

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

Bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP-15) is a member of the TGFß family known to regulate ovarian functions in mammals. The structure and function of BMP-15 in lower vertebrates are less known. In this study, we cloned the zebrafish BMP-15 (zfBMP-15) cDNA and depicted its genomic organization. The zfBMP-15 cDNA encodes a protein of 384 amino acids. The mature protein has 46–51% sequence identities to fugu, chicken, and mammalian BMP-15. It also shares 38–46% homology with growth and differentiation factor-9 in fishes, chicken, and mammals. Phylogenetic analysis further confirms that the zfBMP-15 is most closely related to BMP-15 from other species, whereas the growth and differentiation factor-9 peptides from fish to mammals form a distinct branch. Comparison of zfBMP-15 cDNA with zebrafish genome database revealed that zfBMP-15 is encoded by a gene with two exons and one intron, located on chromosome 6. BMP-15 mRNA is expressed in the ovary and testis and, to a lesser extent, brain, liver, gut, heart, and muscle. Real-time PCR revealed that BMP-15 is expressed in follicles at all stages of development with no significant changes over the course of folliculogenesis. Using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry, we detected BMP-15 in both oocytes and follicular cells. Incubation of follicles with antiserum against zfBMP15 increased oocyte maturation, whereas incubation with recombinant human BMP-15 suppressed human chorionic gonadotropin-induced oocyte maturation. These findings suggest that BMP-15 plays a role in regulating gonadal functions in fish, in particular oocyte maturation.

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				E. S. Clelland, Q. Tan, A. Balofsky, R. Lacivita, and C. Peng Inhibition of Premature Oocyte Maturation: A Role for Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 in Zebrafish Ovarian Follicles Endocrinology, November 1, 2007; 148(11): 5451 - 5458. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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