BACKGROUND The oocyte-to-embryo transition (OET) requires a co-ordinated transcriptional programme acting through evolutionarily conserved events, and transcription factors (TFs) are known to control these processes. Here, we focus on nuclear factor (NF)-κB, a TF involved in several cellular processes, studying NFκB-inhibitor (NFKBIA) mRNA and its protein product, IκBα, during OET. NFKBIA and I...

Mammalian meiotic divisions are asymmetrical and generate a large oocyte and two small polar bodies. This asymmetry results from the anchoring of the meiotic spindle to the oocyte cortex and subsequent cortical reorganization, but the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. We investigated the role of Rac in oocyte meiosis by using a fluorescent reporter for Rac-GTP. We find that Rac-GTP is ...

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for equine, such as in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) and fertilization (IVF), has been slow with low success rates compared to other domestic species [1]. This is partly because mares are long-lived animals that gelded at an early age management [2].

In this study, the theoretical calculations of CO dissociation were carried out on Cu-Fe alloy surface by a full-potential method, which made more accurate results especially on the prediction of adsorption energies. This process may be governed by either a direct route or a H-assisted via HCO and COH intermediates pathways. In comparison to the pure surface Fe (100), the presence of Cu atom en...

Backgroud: Oocyte cryopreservation is critical in assisted reproduction techniques. However, the effect of cryopreservation on the oocyte has not been widely explored yet. Currently a thorough understanding of oocyte cryobiology is urgently required due to its far lag behind the forces propelling the clinical application of oocyte cryopreservation. Methods: In this study, we used two different ...

The mammalian ovarian follicle is the complex reproductive unit comprising germ cell, somatic cells (Cumulus and Granulosa cells), and follicular fluid (FF): paracrine communication among the different cell types through FF ensures the development of a mature oocyte ready for fertilization. This paper is focused on non-coding RNAs in ovarian follicles and their predicted role in the pathways in...

Oocyte maturation depends on multiple variables. In fact, in dogs, the requirements for oocyte development in vitro are so complex that achievement of female gamete maturation has been viewed as a difficult problem. The conundrum, thus far unanswered, of achieving dog oocyte maturation in vitro, is nowadays the major puzzle of the in vitro program in the canine species. In in vitro studies of d...

Reduced oocyte and embryo quality are currently recognized as key factors in the problem of disappointing fertility in high producing dairy cows, but also in women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment. This review aims to highlight the importance of intrafollicular conditions in the subfertility problem, topical in both bovine and human research. Metabolic disturbances, like a negative en...

BACKGROUND In a growth phase occurring during most of folliculogenesis, the oocyte produces and accumulates molecules and organelles that are fundamental for the development of the preimplantation embryo. At ovulation, growth is followed by a phase of maturation that, although confined within a short temporal window, encompasses modifications of the oocyte chromosome complement and rearrangemen...