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Complementary DNA sequences of ovarian follicular fluid inhibin show precursor structure and homology with transforming growth factor-β

Nature volume 318, pages 659–663 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

Inhibin, a specific and potent polypeptide inhibitor of the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)1, of gonadal origin and thus a potential contraceptive, may constitute a missing link in the mechanism controlling the differential secretion of the pituitary gonadotropins. Inhibin-like bioactivity has been reported in various fluids and extracts of testis2–5 and in ovarian follicular fluid6–10. Although there have been several attempts to purify inhibin from seminal plasma11–13, purification from follicular fluid has been more successful (refs 14–16; for review see ref. 17). We have previously isolated two forms (A and B) of inhibin from porcine follicular fluid14. Each form comprised two dissimilar subunits of relative molecular mass (Mr) 18,000 (18K, referred to here as the α-subunit) and 14K (the β-subunit), crosslinked by one or more disulphide bridges(s). Forms A and B differ in the N-terminal sequence of their 14K subunit. Preliminary structural characterization of porcine15 and bovine16 ovarian inhibins shows that they have similar properties. Here, we have used the N-terminal amino-acid sequence data on the subunits of each inhibin to identify cloned complementary DNAs encoding the biosynthetic precursors and report that inhibins are the product of a gene family that also includes transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and whose structural organization is similar to that of pituitary and placental glycoprotein hormones.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, Genentech, Inc., 460 Point San Bruno Boulevard, South San Francisco, California, 94080, USA

    Anthony J. Mason, Joel S. Hayflick & Peter H. Seeburg

  2. Department of Protein Biochemistry, Genentech, Inc., 460 Point San Bruno Boulevard, South San Francisco, California, 94080, USA

    Hugh Niall

  3. Laboratories for Neuroendocrinology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA

    Nicholas Ling, Frederick Esch, Naoto Ueno, Shao-Yao Ying & Roger Guillemin

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  1. Anthony J. Mason
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Mason, A., Hayflick, J., Ling, N. et al. Complementary DNA sequences of ovarian follicular fluid inhibin show precursor structure and homology with transforming growth factor-β. Nature 318, 659–663 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/318659a0

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