CONTEXT Idiopathic primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a major cause of amenorrhea and infertility. POI affects 1% of women before age 40 years, and several genetic causes have been reported. To date, POI has been considered a monogenic disorder. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify novel gene variations and to investigate if individuals with POI harbor mutation in multiple loci...

The purpose of this work is to address the relationship between transcriptional profile of embryos and the pregnancy success based on gene expression analysis of blastocyst biopsies taken prior to transfer to recipients. Biopsies (30-40% of the intact embryo) were taken from in vitro-produced day 7 blastocysts (n = 118), and 60-70% were transferred to recipients after reexpansion. Based on the ...

During human fetal ovary development, the process of primordial follicle formation is immediately preceded by a highly dynamic period of germ cell and somatic cell reorganisation. This is regulated by germ-cell specific transcription regulators, by the conserved RNA binding proteins DAZL and BOLL and by secreted growth factors of the TGFβ family, including activin βA: these all show changing pa...

In recent years, mammalian oocytes have been proposed to have important roles in the orchestration of ovarian follicular development and fertility. To determine whether intra-oocyte Foxo3a, a component of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway, influences follicular development and female fertility, a transgenic mouse model was generated with constitutively active Foxo3a exp...

The differentiation of the female gamete into a developmentally competent oocyte relies on the protected environment of the ovarian follicle. The oocyte plays a key role in establishing this microenvironment by releasing paracrine factors that control the functions of surrounding somatic cells. Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) are secreted during ...

Heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) is a heat shock protein family member which can inhibit apoptosis. Our previous studies reported down-regulated Hsp27 in ovarian tissue derived from women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) however, the exact effect of Hsp27 on oocyte maturation and developmental competence in PCOS is unclear. The effect of Hsp27 over-expression was studied in vitro using oocyte...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of diosgenin, an important monomer of sapogenins in yams, on ovarian reserve in a natural aging mice model. STUDY DESIGN This randomized controlled trial included 60 9-month-old C57 naturally aging female mice. Twenty-one mice were assigned to the dio group and were fed a single dose of diosgenin (200 mg/kg/day) suspended in 0.3% ...

Calnexin (CANX) and calreticulin (CALR) chaperones mediate nascent glycoprotein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we report that these chaperones have distinct roles in male and female fertility. Canx null mice are growth retarded but fertile. Calr null mice die during embryonic development, rendering indeterminate any effect on reproduction. Therefore, we conditionally ablated Calr in...

Ovarian folliculogenesis is regulated by both endocrine and intraovarian mechanisms that coordinate the processes of oocyte growth and somatic cell proliferation and differentiation. Within the follicle, paracrine interactions between the oocyte and surrounding granulosa cells are critical for normal cell development and function. This review focuses on the role of paracrine interactions during...