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Inhibin and Activin as Paracrine Regulators of Gonadal Function: In Vitro Model Systems

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Inhibin, Activin and Follistatin

Part of the book series: Serono Symposia USA ((SERONOSYMP))

Abstract

Inhibin and activin were first described as feedback inhibitors of pituitary function. However, a range of data now supports the hypothesis that these factors play a major role in the paracrine regulation of gonadal function (1, 2). Activin seems to act as a mitogen and morphogen during development. Both inhibin and activin, and their receptors and binding proteins, are also expressed during the normal cycling of the adult ovary (3) and testis. The exact response to these hormones, however, may vary with the developmental stage of the testis or ovary and the stage of the seminiferous or follicular cycle.

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Authors
  1. Jennie P. Mather
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  2. Rong-Hao Li
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  3. David M. Phillips
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  4. Alison Moore
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology School of Medicine, The University of Tokushima, 3-18-15, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770, Japan

    Toshihiro Aono M.D., Ph.D. (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

  2. Division of Enzyme Cytology Institute for Enzyme Research, The University of Tokushima, 3-18-15, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770, Japan

    Hiromu Sugino Ph.D.

  3. The Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA

    Wylie W. Vale Ph.D.

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Mather, J.P., Li, RH., Phillips, D.M., Moore, A. (1997). Inhibin and Activin as Paracrine Regulators of Gonadal Function: In Vitro Model Systems. In: Aono, T., Sugino, H., Vale, W.W. (eds) Inhibin, Activin and Follistatin. Serono Symposia USA. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1874-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1874-6_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7320-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-1874-6

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