The growth and development of follicles within the ovary are highly dependent on autocrine and paracrine signaling involving growth factors from granulosa cells, theca cells, stromal interstitial cells, and the oocytes. The growth factor bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) and its receptor (BMPR-IB) have been detected in ovaries, and a mutation in BMPR-IB has been associated with abnormal ovulation rate. The objective of the current study was to examine the role that BMP-4 plays in the early stages of primordial follicle development. Ovaries from 4-day-old rats were placed into a whole-ovary organ culture system for 2 wk to investigate the effect that treatment with exogenous BMP-4 has on early follicle development. BMP-4-treated ovaries had a significantly higher proportion of developing primary follicles and fewer arrested primordial follicles than did untreated controls. This indicates that BMP-4 promotes primordial follicle development and the primordial-to-primary follicle transition. Ovaries were also treated with neutralizing antibody against BMP-4 to determine effects of removing endogenously produced BMP-4. Interestingly, ovaries treated with BMP-4 antibody were markedly smaller than controls. This was associated with a progressive loss of oocytes and primordial follicles, a progressive increase in cellular apoptosis, and an accompanying loss of normal ovarian tissue morphology over time. Immunocytochemistry localized BMP-4 protein to isolated stromal cell populations, selected stromal cells (i.e., pretheca cells) associated with developing primordial follicles, and the basement membrane of follicles. Ovaries were treated with BMP-4 and RNA collected after organ culture to determine whether BMP-4 signaling affects expression of other growth factors. Kit ligand and basic fibroblast growth factor expression was unchanged, but TGFalpha expression was decreased in whole ovaries. Taken together, these data suggest that BMP-4 plays an important role in promoting the survival and development of primordial follicles in the neonatal ovary.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
2
2%
Other
4
3%
Unknown
21
18%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 9. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 09 November 2025.
All research outputs
#5,032,073
of 33,903,899 outputs
Outputs from Biology of Reproduction
#502
of 5,922 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#10,210
of 76,107 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Biology of Reproduction
#6
of 45 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 33,903,899 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 83rd percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,922 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.4. This one has done well, scoring higher than 88% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 76,107 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 80% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 45 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 82% of its contemporaries.
