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This version published online on May 12, 2005
Endocrinology, doi:10.1210/en.2004-1676
A more recent version of this article appeared on August 1, 2005
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Submitted on December 30, 2004
Accepted on May 2, 2005

Localization and action of Dragon (RGMb), a novel BMP co-receptor, throughout the reproductive axis.*

Yin Xia, Yisrael Sidis, Abir Mukherjee, Tarek A. Samad, Gary Brenner, Clifford J. Woolf, Herbert Y. Lin, and Alan Schneyer*

Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Neural Plasticity Research Group of Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, and Program in Membrane Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Schneyer.alan{at}mgh.harvard.edu.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play important roles in reproduction including primordial germ cell (PGC) formation, follicular development, spermatogenesis and FSH secretion. Dragon, a recently identified glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored member of the repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) family, is also a BMP co-receptor. In the present study, we determined the tissue and cellular localization of Dragon in reproductive organs using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Among reproductive organs, Dragon was expressed in testis, epididymis, ovary, uterus, and pituitary. In the testis of early postnatal mice, Dragon was found in gonocytes and spermatogonia while in immature testes, Dragon was only weakly expressed in spermatogonia. Interestingly, PMSG treatment of immature mice robustly induced Dragon production in spermatocytes. In adult testis, Dragon was found in spermatocytes and round spermatids. In the ovary, Dragon was detected exclusively within oocytes and primarily those within secondary follicles. In the pituitary, Dragon expressing cells overlapped FSH expressing cells. Dragon was also expressed in a number of cell lines originating from reproductive tissues including Ishikawa, Hela, L{beta} T2, MCF-7 and JEG3 cells. Immunocytochemistry and gradient sucrose ultracentrifugation studies showed Dragon was localized in lipid rafts within the plasma membrane. In reproductive cell lines, Dragon expression enhanced signaling of exogenous BMP2 or BMP4. The present studies demonstrate that Dragon expression is dynamically regulated throughout the reproductive tract and that Dragon protein modulates BMP signaling in cells from reproductive tissues. The overlap between Dragon expression and the functional BMP signaling system suggests that Dragon may play a role in mammalian reproduction.


Key words: Dragon • RGM • BMP signaling • testis • ovary • epididymis • uterus • pituitary • localization • lipid raft




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