Cover design Transferrin in the developing follicle. The cover of Molecular Human Reproduction shows immunohistochemical labelling of transferrin in developing follicles. In primordial follicles only weak labelling was observed around the nuclear membrane of some oocytes (top figure, arrows). As the follicles developed, the presence of transferrin became evident in the cuboidal granulosa cells (second figure, arrowheads) in the ooplasm (third figure, arrows) and in the oolemma (second figure, arrows; third figure, arrowheads). The most prominent staining for transferrin was seen in the antral follicle (bottom figure) in the ooplasm, the oolema and the surrounding cumulus. Transferrin is best known as an iron transporter but may also act as a growth factor or as an inhibitor of reactive oxygen species. For further details, see 1107-1114.
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