Expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-b) members in the rat oviduct

PABLO A. VALDECANTOS; MARÍA V. ARROYO; MARÍA C. ESTEVÉZ; MARTIN E. ARGAÑARAZ; DORA C. MICELI

Pinamar, Buenos Aires

Congreso; XLI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigaciones en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular - SAIB; 2005

Sociedad Argentina de Investigaciones en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

In mammalians, early embryonic development begins in the oviduct with active mitotic cycles. The embryonic genome activation and the reprogramming of the embryo gene expression take place after a few cleavage divisions before implantation in the uterus. During this preimplantation period, the oviduct creates a microenvironment that serves to facilitate the optimal early embryo development, in part by the secretion of embriotrofic factors. We previously demonstrated the differential expression of the rat ebaf (endometrial bleeding-associated factor) gene, a member of the TGF-â family with regulatory properties on other TGF-â s, in the rat oviduct during early pregnancy. Few members of the TGF-superfamily  have been reported as being expressed in some mammalian oviducts. In order to discovery the role of ebaf in the oviduct, we studied the mRNA expression of seven TGF-â members in the rat oviduct by RT-PCR. To determine TGF-â 1, TGF-â 2, TGF-â 3, BMP7, GDF9 and EBAF mRNAs expression, total RNA from rat oviducts were isolated and subjected to RT-PCR analysis. Results indicate that all of the studied genes are expressed in the rat oviduct. TGF-â signaling controls a diverse set of cellular processes; the oviductal expression of different TGF-â s suggests a delicate complex role for these factors in the mammalian oviduct during the reproductive process.