BMPs属于TGF-b超家族成员, 在调节哺乳动物的生长、细胞增殖和分化等方面有很广泛的生物学功能。越来越多的证据显示, BMPs在雌性哺乳动物生殖, 尤其在卵泡发生过程中发挥重要作用。Smads蛋白是BMP家族细胞内信号转导分子, 可将BMPs胞外信号从细胞膜传递入细胞核。文章对BMPs、BMP/Smad信号通路和BMP如何被调节进行概述, 并重点对BMP/Smad信号通路在卵泡发生过程中所起的调控作用进行综述。
BMPs belong to the transforming growth factor-b superfamily. BMPs have been proved to have extensive bio-logical functions in mammals, including growth regulation, cell proliferation and differentiation. More and more evidence has shown that BMPs play a key role in fertility, especially in folliculogenesis in female mammals. Smad proteins are intra-cellular signaling transduction molecules of BMP family, which can transduce the BMP signal from the cell membrane to the nucleus. In this review, BMPs, BMP/Smad-related signal transduction and the regulation of BMP activity were summa-rized, and the regulatory roles of BMP/Smad signal transduction pathway in folliculogenesis were discussed.
