Journal article

Expression patterns of activin, inhibin and follistatin variants in the adult male mouse reproductive tract suggest important roles in the epididymis and vas deferens

Wendy R Winnall, Hui Wu, Mai A Sarraj, Peter AW Rogers, David M de Kretser, Jane E Girling, Mark P Hedger

REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT | CSIRO PUBLISHING | Published : 2013

Abstract

Activin A and its inhibitors follistatin and inhibin play key roles in development and function of the male reproductive tract. Quantitative (q) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to evaluate the expression of Inhba (the gene encoding activin A subunits), Inha and Inhbb (genes encoding the inhibin B subunits), as well as the genes for follistatin (Fst) and follistatin-like 3 (Fstl3) and the activin receptor subunits, in the male mouse reproductive tract. A qPCR assay that discriminated between the two follistatin variants of Fst288 (tissue-bound form) and Fst315 (circulating) was established. Activin A protein was measured by ELISA, whereas the inhibin α-subunit and total follistatin p..

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Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC)


Awarded by NHMRC


Funding Acknowledgements

The authors thank Yi Chen, Julie Muir, Sue Hayward, Rosemary Genovese, Peter Temple-Smith, Leonie Cann, Matthew Beasley and the staff of the Monash Medical Centre Animal House for expert advice and technical assistance. This work was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Project Grant (606545; to JEG, MPH, DMdeK and PAWR), NHMRC Fellowships (143805 to PAWR; 143788 to MPH), an NHMRC New Investigator Grant (550915; to MAS) and by the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program.