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Transforming growth factor β mRNA and protein expression in the ovary of the chicken embryo

The expression pattern of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) isoforms in chicken embryo gonads was studied at 6–10 days of incubation. TGFβ2 mRNA was expressed predominantly in the cortex of the left ovary from day 8 of incubation onwards. TGFβ3 mRNA was not detected at any of the stages studied. Similarly, immunofluorescence for the TGFβ protein revealed that at day 9 it was located throughout the cortex of the left ovary and in the medulla of both the left and right ovaries. The presence of phosphorylated Smad2 in the nuclei of these regions suggests that TGFβ signaling is most likely active at this developmental stage. Culturing the left ovary in a TGFβ1-supplemented medium induced a shift of cortical structures toward the medulla, suggesting a role for TGFβ in the morphogenesis of the female gonad in chickens.