Figure 3.

Effects of GDF-5 (Upper) and BMP-4 (Lower) on progesterone secretion by FecB^B/FecB^B and FecB⁺/FecB⁺ granulosa cells in vitro. Granulosa cells from FecB^B/FecB^B and FecB⁺/FecB⁺ antral follicles of 1–3 mm in diameter were cultured for 96 h in serum-free conditions with 10 ng/ml insulin-like growth factor-1. Cultures were performed in the presence or absence (Control) of different concentrations of BMP-4, dimeric GDF-5, or 50 ng/ml monomeric GDF-5 as negative control (Mono 50) and with or without FSH (5 ng/ml) in culture medium. Results represent progesterone secretion by granulosa cells between 48 and 96 h in three independent cultures. Data are expressed as percentages of the amount of progesterone secreted by cells cultured in the absence of GDF-5 or BMP-4. In vitro, FSH had no significant effect on the inhibition rate induced by both ligands, and data include FSH-treated and untreated cells. **, P < 0.01 and ***, P < 0.001, BMP-4 or GDF-5 vs. control; $$, P < 0.01 and $$$, P < 0.001, FecB^B/FecB^B vs. FecB⁺/FecB⁺.