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Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on October 21, 2009
Molecular Human Reproduction 2009 15(12):789-794; doi:10.1093/molehr/gap085
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

This article appears in the following Molecular Human Reproduction issue: Special Issue: The ovary: from basic research to clinic [View the issue table of contents]

Oocyte peptides as paracrine tools for ovarian stimulation and oocyte maturation

David G. Mottershead1 and Andrew J. Watson2,3,4

1 Robinson Institute, School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Children's Health Research Institute-Lawson Health Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada 3Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Children's Health Research Institute-Lawson Health Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

4 Correspondence address. E-mail: awatson{at}uwo.ca

Recent studies report the production and isolation of a stable bioactive recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 15 (rhBMP15) that is appropriately processed in HEK-293 cells and activates the SMAD 1/5/8 pathway in mouse granulosa cell cultures. Further, the purified rhBMP15 induces the expression of genes associated with cumulus expansion. Thanks to recent research, we have a greater understanding of the importance of the dialogue that occurs between the oocyte and the granulosa cell layer with regard to regulating folliculogenesis and the acquisition of oocyte developmental competence and maturation. BMP15 is one of the critical components of these intra-follicular communication pathways. The production of recombinant human BMP15 is important for understanding the biochemistry of this specific pathway and for also fully understanding its functional contributions to mediating oocyte development. The production of a stable recombinant human BMP15 is also important for use in experiments aimed at optimizing ovarian stimulation protocols and in vitro oocyte maturation methods. This is required to improve oocyte and embryonic developmental competence and increase our ability to effectively use in vitro methods for animal production and the treatment of human infertility.

Key words: growth factors/protein biochemistry/folliculogenesis/assisted reproductive technology/embryo transfer

Submitted on August 26, 2009; resubmitted on September 30, 2009; accepted on September 30, 2009.


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