Cloning of a New Member of the TGF-β Family: A Putative New Activin βC Chain

Hötten, Gertrud; Neidhardt, H.; Schneider, Christophe; Pohl, J

doi:10.1006/bbrc.1995.1086

Cited by 169 publications

(82 citation statements)

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“…Expression of the activin PC subunit, a recently cloned cDNA showing close homology with the inhibin 3-subunits (Hotten et al, 1995), was found by RT-PCR in normal testis, while a weaker signal was obtained in the two seminomas but not in the two nonseminomas tested. RNAase protection assays performed on the 22 testicular tumours confirmed the presence of inhibin PA and 3B subunit transcripts in seminomas and non-seminomas (Figure 1 B).…”

Section: Inhibin Subunits and Follistatinmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…For the activin PC subunit, a partial cDNA was cloned corresponding to nucleotides 824-1240 (Hotten et al, 1995), using PCR on K562 genomic DNA. All cDNAs were subcloned in pBluescript KS(-) (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA, USA) and checked by sequencing.…”

Section: Rt-pcrmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is especially the case in the more aggressive non-seminomas, which were shown to express relatively high levels of inhibin PA subunit mRNA. The recently described cloning of the activin PC subunit cDNA (Hotten et al, 1995), which showed homology to the inhibin PA and ,B subunits, prompted us to examine its expression in TGCTs. Using activin PC subunit-specific primers, followed by identification of the reaction products by hybridization with a 32P-labelled human activin PC subunit probe, we found signal in normal testis and a weaker signal in the two seminomas analysed.…”

Section: Inhibin Subunits and Follistatinmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Human testicular germ cell tumours express inhibin subunits, activin receptors and follistatin mRNAs

Schaik

Wierikx²,

Looijenga³

et al. 1997

Br J Cancer

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Summary Germ cell development is influenced by activin and inhibin, which are produced by Sertoli cells. Activin also affects differentiation of mouse embryonal carcinoma cells, which, to a certain extent, resemble the embryonal carcinoma component of germ cell tumours. Therefore, the expression of inhibin/activin subunits, of activin receptors and of the activin-binding protein follistatin was studied in testicular germ cell tumours, using RNAase protection assays. Testicular germ cell tumours of adolescents and adults (TGCTs) and spermatocytic seminomas expressed activin type and type 11 receptors (ActRi and ActRII respectively). Seminomas expressed significantly lower levels of ActRIIA (P<0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test) and higher levels of ActRIA (P<0.05) and ActRIB (P<0.05) compared with non-seminomas. All tumours expressed inhibin n-subunit transcripts, which are a prerequisite for activin synthesis. Non-seminomas contained significantly higher levels of the inhibin PA subunit (P<0.001) compared with seminomas. No activin PC subunit transcripts could be demonstrated by RNAase protection. Inhibin a-subunit expression was absent in the spermatocytic seminomas, in six out of nine seminomas and in 10 out of 11 nonseminomas. Follistatin was expressed predominantly in non-seminomas and spermatocytic seminomas. This expression of activin type and type 11 receptors in combination with expression of inhibin 5-subunits indicates that activin may act as a para-or autocrine factor in the regulation of growth and differentiation of tumours of human germ cells.

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Section: Inhibin Subunits and Follistatinmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Rt-pcrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Inhibin Subunits and Follistatinmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Human testicular germ cell tumours express inhibin subunits, activin receptors and follistatin mRNAs

Schaik

Wierikx²,

Looijenga³

et al. 1997

Br J Cancer

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“…However, where both are expressed, inhibins appear to oppose the actions of activins. Whether the more recently characterised subunits C (Hötten et al 1995), D (Oda et al 1995) and E (Fang et al 1996) can dimerise to form mature inhibins and activins is at present unclear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The expression of inhibin/activin subunits in the human adrenal cortex and its tumours

Munro

Kennedy²,

McNicol³

1999

Journal of Endocrinology

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Inhibins and activins are dimeric proteins of the transforming growth factor-superfamily which have been shown to be expressed in the adrenal cortex. Recent studies have suggested a role for these peptides in the pathogenesis and/or function of adrenal tumours. To investigate further their physiological and pathological roles, we have documented immunoreactivity for inhibin , A and B subunits in normal adult and fetal human adrenals, in hyperplastic adrenals and in adrenal tumours.In the normal and hyperplastic adult gland, diffuse immunopositivity was demonstrated for subunits, suggesting that activins ( dimers) can be expressed in all zones. Inhibin was limited to the zona reticularis and the innermost zona fasciculata in the normal gland, extending centripetally into the zona fasciculata in hyperplasia, supporting a role for ACTH in the regulation of expression, and suggesting that expression of inhibins ( dimers) is restricted.Immunopositivity for all three subunits was seen in both fetal and definitive zones of the fetal cortex, indicating that both inhibins and activins could be expressed in both.Immunopositivity for all three subunits was seen in most adrenocortical tumours. Loss of immunopositivity for inhibin in a subgroup of carcinomas might indicate a role in tumour progression. The greater intensity of staining for inhibin in tumours associated with Cushing's syndrome again suggests a link with cortisol production.

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“…For historical and practical reasons, most experimental work has been done with activins A and B. However, related molecules, such as Vg1, nodal-related genes Xnr1-3, and activins C and D, might in fact perform or share these functions in vivo (17)(18)(19)(20). In as far as these factors are active in inducing assays at all (some are more active than others), the qualitative differences between them are subtle.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Anteroposterior neural tissue specification by activin-induced mesoderm

Green

Cook

Smith

et al. 1997

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The transforming growth factor ␤ superfamily member, activin, is able to induce mesodermal tissues in animal cap explants from Xenopus laevis blastula stage embryos. Activin can act like a morphogen of the dorsoventral axis in that lower doses induce more ventral, and higher doses more dorsal, tissue types. Activin has also previously been reported to induce neural tissues in animal caps. From cell mixing experiments it was inferred that this might be an indirect effect of induced mesoderm signaling to uninduced ectoderm. Here we demonstrate directly that neural tissues do indeed arise by the action of induced mesoderm on uninduced ectoderm. Dorsal mesoderm is itself subdivided into posterior and anterior domains in vivo, but this had not been demonstrated for induced mesoderm. We therefore tested whether different concentrations of activin recreate these different anteroposterior properties as well. We show that the anteroposterior positional value of induced mesoderm, including its neuroinductive properties, depends on the dose of activin applied to the mesoderm, with lower doses inducing more posterior and higher doses giving more anterior markers. We discuss the implications of these results for patterning signals and the relationship between anteroposterior and dorsoventral axes.

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Cloning of a New Member of the TGF-β Family: A Putative New Activin βC Chain

Cited by 169 publications

References 0 publications

Human testicular germ cell tumours express inhibin subunits, activin receptors and follistatin mRNAs

Human testicular germ cell tumours express inhibin subunits, activin receptors and follistatin mRNAs

The expression of inhibin/activin subunits in the human adrenal cortex and its tumours

Anteroposterior neural tissue specification by activin-induced mesoderm

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