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The surprising link between muscle and the reproductive system

Myostatin, which blocks muscle development, unexpectedly has an effect on ovulation in female mice.
Light micrograph of a section through an ovary shown in blue, pink and purple colours.

An egg (small oval on top of the large white area) develops in an ovarian follicle. Myostatin, a hormone that inhibits muscle growth, also affects the release of eggs in female mice. Credit: Eye of Science/Science Photo Library

A protein that restricts muscle growth also has an unexpected role in the reproductive system, studies1 in rodents have revealed.

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Nature 637, 1025 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00129-9

References

  1. Ongaro, L. et al. Science 387, 329—336 (2025).

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