Reproductive Biology and Fertility

This study develops a quantitative framework to distinguish between clock and domino mechanisms in embryogenesis, finding domino governs cleavage timings while a clock mechanism governs morula and blastocyst timings.

This study shows that EGG-1 and EGG-2 are not required for fertilization in C. elegans but are involved in post-fertilization processes like eggshell integrity and embryo protection.

The paper challenges the notion of synchronous meiosis initiation in mouse fetal ovaries, showing asynchronous entry and progression from E12.5 to E16.5, supported by a predictive meiotic clock model.

This study uses single-cell proteomics to identify protein changes in human oocytes during in vitro aging, revealing key biological processes and potential biomarkers.

This study compares in-vivo and in-vitro mouse embryo development using 4D live imaging, finding that in-vitro culture delays development, alters morphology, and disrupts cell lineage specification.

Hydrogels matching aged mouse ovary stiffness (5.85 kPa vs 0.84 kPa) cut follicle survival to 6.66% to 30%, reduce estradiol up to 533-fold, and alter 135 genes within 6 hours.

This study shows that mild restraint stress in mice prolongs the diestrus phase of the estrous cycle, suggesting that moderate stress may disrupt reproductive cycling.

This study shows that encapsulated human ovarian xenografts restore endocrine function in ovariectomized mice, integrating with the host's hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis and maintaining cyclicity and hormone levels.

The paper develops and applies transvaginal ovum retrieval techniques in scimitar horned oryx and roan antelope to support assisted reproductive technologies for conservation.

This study shows that adding extracellular vesicles from follicular fluid to in vitro maturation culture improves oocyte maturation rates and alters proteome and ultrastructure.

The paper profiles inorganic elements in mouse embryos and shows zinc supplementation during blastocyst formation increases Nanog expression in the inner cell mass.

This study identifies early gonadotoxic effects of cyclophosphamide on prepubertal testes and shows antioxidant co-treatment can reduce toxicity without compromising anticancer efficacy.

This study develops ovarian somatic organoids that maintain cellular diversity and reveal age-related changes in cellular composition and function.

The paper shows that lowering insulin levels in mice prevents reproductive aging and diet-induced ovarian dysfunction, linking hyperinsulinemia to subfertility.

This study shows that ZP2, a zona pellucida protein, is re-synthesized and functionally required in mouse embryos, playing an active role in blastocyst formation and cell lineage development.

The paper shows that a balanced DNA-to-cytoplasm ratio, rather than genome ploidy, is critical for mouse embryos to reach the morula stage.

This study shows that the zinc transporter Zip10 is essential for zinc sparks during fertilization in mice, which are critical for embryo development.

This study shows that MAP hydrogel encapsulation improves revascularization and endocrine function of transplanted ovarian tissue in a mouse model of primary ovarian insufficiency.

This study uses imaging and analysis to reveal the roles of the zona pellucida and perivitelline space in gamete fusion and polyspermy block in mice oocytes.

This study examines the early transcriptomic changes in mouse ovaries after cyclophosphamide exposure, identifying p53-driven gene expression patterns linked to apoptosis and DNA damage.

This study identifies the DGAT1-PANK2-NRF2 axis as critical for lipid droplet remodeling, redox balance, and oocyte quality, with dysfunction linked to age-related decline.

This study shows MEIOC halts mitotic cycling and promotes meiotic entry in mouse oocytes by repressing CCNA2 and upregulating Meiosin through a positive feedback loop with STRA8-MEIOSIN.

This study identifies Plat's role in protecting aged oocytes from programmed cell death by activating the Erk1/2 pathway, showing tPA supplementation improves oocyte quality.

The paper defines ovarian fibrosis as collagen accumulation and anisotropic organization in mouse and human ovaries using polarized light microscopy.

The paper identifies mRNA isoform switching as critical for mural and cumulus granulosa cell differentiation in mice by analyzing transcriptomes and differential transcript isoform expression.

The paper identifies newly evolved endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) as drivers of epigenetic priming in non-growing oocytes, enabling follicular activation during oogenesis.

The paper reconstructs germ cell differentiation in Xenopus laevis using single-cell RNA sequencing and imaging, revealing parallels with invertebrate and mouse cyst development and identifying a germline stem cell population.

This study maps over 85,000 oocytes in mouse ovaries across their reproductive lifespan, revealing spatial patterns and a bimodal size distribution, along with a mathematical model of oocyte activation and loss.

The paper uses nanoCT and confocal imaging to show symmetric follicle organization in mouse ovaries across lifespan, preserved despite follicle health or atresia.

This study shows that PIWIL3 is essential for rabbit oogenesis and embryogenesis by regulating transcriptome and proteome, with implications for human fertility.