Biology of Reproduction最新文献

Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) involve the laboratory manipulation of gametes and embryos to help couples with fertility problems become pregnant. One of these procedures controlled ovarian stimulation uses pharmacological agents to induce ovarian and follicular maturation in vivo. Despite the effectiveness in achieving pregnancy and live births, some patients may have complications due to over-response to gonadotropins and develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). In vitro maturation of oocytes (IVM) has emerged as a technique to reduce the risk of OHSS, particularly in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and for fertility preservation in women undergoing oncological treatment. Although there are some limitations, primarily due to oocyte quality, recent advances have improved pregnancy success rates and neonatal and infant outcomes. Different terms have been coined to describe variations of IVM, and the technique has evolved with the introduction of hormones to optimize results. This review we provide a comprehensive overview of IVM and its reproductive outcomes during ARTs.

Since females grow faster in penaeid shrimp, all-female aquaculture was proposed. Environmental conditions in the Pacific white shrimp did not found to affect genetic sex determination (ZZ/ZW system). The androgenic gland (AG)-secreting insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) is a key controlling factor in crustacean male differentiation. However, functional sex reversal (neo-male) in penaeid shrimp has not yet been achieved by manipulating the IAG-sexual switch. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of gonadal differentiation may help build appropriate tools to generate neo-male (ZW) for all-female breeding. This study describes the potential role of the novel penaeid-specific testicular zinc finger protein (pTZFP) in the gonads of Pacific white shrimp. First, pTZFP transcripts show a male-bias expression pattern in undifferentiated gonads, which is then exclusively expressed in the testis and absent or slightly expressed in the ovary and other tissues. Besides, the knockdown of pTZFP in undifferentiated males results in smaller testes but no sex reversal. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) further confirmed that the smaller testes in pTZFP-deficient males are due to the lower proliferating activity of spermatogonia. These data reveal that pTZFP may be involved in testicular development but have fewer effects on gonadal differentiation. Moreover, testicular pTZFP transcription levels were not reduced with estradiol-17β (E2) administration or AG excision. Therefore, our data suggest that pTZFP may regulate testicular development through downstream genes regulating spermatogonia proliferation. Moreover, our data provide an appropriate molecular marker for identifying the sex of undifferentiated gonads.

In cattle, oviductal function is controlled by the ovarian sex-steroids estradiol and progesterone. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the exposure to contrasting sex-steroid milieus differentially impacts the oviductal fluid composition. Estrous cycles of non-lactating, multiparous Nelore cows were pre-synchronized and then synchronized with a protocol designed two induce ovulation of large (LF group) or small (SF group) follciles. Larger preovulatory follicle (day 0) and corpora lutea (day 4) and greater estradiol (day 0) and progesterone (day 4) concentrations were observed in the LF group. Four days after induced ovulation, oviductal fluid was collected post-mortem. Quantitative mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentration of amino acids, biogenic amines, acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins, hexoses, prostaglandins and related compounds. Multivariate analyses (OPLS-DA) were conducted to compare the metabolomic signatures of oviductal fluids. Correlation network analysis was conducted to measure the strength and hierarchy of associations among metabolites. Of the 205 metabolites quantified, 171 were detected in at least 50% of the samples and were included in further data analysis. After OPLS-DA analysis, samples of the LF and SF were divided clearly into two non-overlapping clusters. Twenty metabolites had different or tended to have different concentrations in the oviductal fluid when comparing groups. Seven of these 20 analytes had greater concentrations in LF cows. Moreover, total sum of biogenic amines, phosphatidylcholines, and prostaglandins were higher in the SF group. The correlation network showed that the LF group metabolites' concentrations were highly intercorrelated, which was not observed in the SF group. We concluded that the periovulatory endocrine milieu regulates the composition of the oviductal fluid.

Antral follicle size is a useful predictive marker of the competency of enclosed oocytes for yielding an embryo following in vitro maturation and fertilization. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning oocyte developmental potential during bovine antral follicle growth are still unclear. Here, we used a modified single-cell multi-omics approach to analyze the transcriptome, DNA methylome, and chromatin accessibility in parallel for oocytes and cumulus cells collected from bovine antral follicles of different sizes. Transcriptome profiling identified three types of oocytes (small, medium, and large) that underwent different developmental trajectories, with large oocytes exhibiting the largest average follicle size and characteristics resembling metaphase-II oocytes. Differential expression analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction assay showed that most replication-dependent histone genes were highly expressed in large oocytes. The joint analysis of multi-omics data revealed that the transcription of 20 differentially expressed genes in large oocytes was associated with both DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility. In addition, oocyte-cumulus interaction analysis showed that inflammation, DNA damage, and p53 signaling pathways were active in small oocytes, which had the smallest average follicle sizes. We further confirmed that p53 pathway inhibition in the in vitro maturation experiments using oocytes obtained from small antral follicles could improve the quality of oocytes and increased the blastocyte rate after in vitro fertilization and culture. Our work provides new insights into the intricate orchestration of bovine oocyte fate determination during antral folliculogenesis, which is instrumental for optimizing in vitro maturation techniques to optimize oocyte quality.

The transcription coactivator YAP1 mediates the major effects of the Hippo signaling pathway. The CCN family is a small group of glycoproteins known to be downstream effectors of YAP1 in diverse tissues. However, whether CCN family members mediate the effects of YAP1 in human trophoblasts is unknown. In this study, placental expression of both YAP1 and CCN1 was found to be impaired in pregnancies complicated by early-onset severe preeclampsia. CCN1 was expressed not only in cytotrophoblasts, trophoblast columns, and mesenchymal cells, similar to active YAP1, but also in syncytiotrophoblasts of normal first-trimester placental villi; moreover, decidual staining of active YAP1 and CCN1 was found in both interstitial and endovascular extravillous trophoblasts. In cultured immortalized human trophoblastic HTR-8/SVneo cells, knockdown of YAP1 decreased CCN1 mRNA and protein expression and led to impaired cell invasion and migration. Also, CCN1 knockdown negatively affected HTR-8/SVneo cell invasion and migration but not viability. YAP1 knockdown was further found to impair HTR-8/SVneo cell viability via G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, while CCN1 knockdown had minimal effect on cell cycle arrest and no effect on apoptosis. Accordingly, treatment with recombinant CCN1 partially reversed the YAP1 knockdown-induced impairment in trophoblast invasion and migration but not in viability. Thus, CCN1 mediates the effects of YAP1 on human trophoblast invasion and migration but not apoptosis, and decreased placental expression of YAP1 and CCN1 in pregnancies complicated by early-onset severe preeclampsia might contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease.

Cytoplasmic dynein participates in transport functions and is essential in spermatogenesis. KM23 belongs to the dynein light chain family. The TGFβ signaling pathway is indispensable in spermatogenesis, and Smad2 is an important member of this pathway. We cloned PTKM23 and PTSMAD2 from Portunus trituberculatus and measured their expression during spermatogenesis. PTKM23 may be related to cell division, acrosome formation, and nuclear remodeling, and PTSMAD2 may participate in regulating the expression of genes related to spermatogenesis. We assessed the localization of PTKM23 with PTDHC and α-tubulin, and the results suggested that PTKM23 functions in intracellular transport during spermatogenesis. We knocked down PTKM23 in vivo, and the expression of p53, B-CATAENIN and CYCLIN B decreased significantly, further suggesting a role of PTKM23 in transport and cell division. The localization of PTDIC with α-tubulin and that of PTSMAD2 with PTDHC changed after PTKM23 knockdown. We transfected PTKM23 and PTSMAD2 into HEK-293 T cells and verified their colocalization. These results indicate that PTKM23 is involved in the assembly of cytoplasmic dynein and microtubules during spermatogenesis and that PTKM23 mediates the participation of cytoplasmic dynein in the transport of PTSMAD2 during spermatogenesis.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystem pregnancy disorder characterized by impaired remodeling of placental spiral arteries, which leads to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-angiogenic agents. However, treatment options for PE are limited, with termination of pregnancy being the only curative option. In this work, we investigated the effects of human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) in PE rat model. The rats were induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on gestational day 14.5 followed by injection of hAECs and human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells 24 h later. The hAECs treatment resulted in a reduction in blood pressure and proteinuria in the PE rat model. Furthermore, hAECs treatment decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, reduced inflammatory cells aggregation, and alleviated the damage to placental spiral arteries by downregulating the expression of anti-angiogenic factor and upregulating proangiogenic factor. In vitro experiments confirmed that hAECs treatment restored the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of LPS-damaged human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Additionally, hAECs treatment had positive effects on fetal weight and neurological development in the PE group, with no negative effects on the physical development or fertility of offspring rats. These results suggested that hAECs transplantation may be a novel adjuvant therapeutic strategy for PE by reducing the inflammatory and enhancing placental spiral artery angiogenesis.

Sertoli cells, omnipresent, somatic cells within the seminiferous tubules of the mammalian testis are essential to male fertility. Sertoli cells maintain the integrity of the testicular microenvironment, regulate hormone synthesis, and of particular importance, synthesize the active derivative of vitamin A, all trans retinoic acid (atRA), which is required for germ cell differentiation and the commitment of male germ cells to meiosis. Stages VIII-IX, when atRA synthesis occurs in the testis, coincide with multiple germ cell development and testicular restructuring events that rely on Sertoli cell gene products to proceed normally. In this study, we have synchronized and captured the mouse testis at four recurrent points of atRA synthesis to observe transcriptomic changes within Sertoli cells as mice age and the Sertoli cells are exposed to increasingly developed germ cell subtypes. This work provides comprehensive, high-resolution characterization of the timing of induction of functional Sertoli cell genes across the first wave of spermatogenesis, and outlines in silico predictions of germ cell derived signaling mechanisms targeting Sertoli cells. We have found that Sertoli cells adapt to their environment, especially to the needs of the germ cell populations present and establish germ-Sertoli cell and Sertoli-Sertoli cell junctions early but gain many of their known immune-regulatory and protein secretory functions in preparation for spermiogenesis and spermiation. Additionally, we have found unique patterns of germ-Sertoli signaling present at each endogenous pulse of atRA, suggesting individual functions of the various germ cells in germ-Sertoli communication.

Interleukin-32 is a species-specific cytokine that plays an important role in inflammation, cancer, and other diseases; however, its role in reproductive and pregnancy-related diseases remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of interleukin-32 in reproductive and pregnancy-related diseases. Placental tissues from patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension, healthy pregnant women, and trophoblast lines were analysed. Interleukin-32 expression was quantified via polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, and functional assays were performed after interleukin-32 modulation. Interleukin-32 was identified only in placental mammals, such as Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, Chiroptera, Dermoptera, Lagomorpha, Perissodactyla, and Primates via bioinformatics. Immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction revealed that interleukin-32 was highly expressed in human placental villi, poorly expressed in decidua and endometrial tissues, and was not detected in mouse tissues. Second, interleukin-32 upregulates miR-205 expression by increasing DROSHA expression, and miR-205 promotes interleukin-32 expression by targeting its promoter region. Interleukin-32 and miR-205 significantly enhanced the invasion ability of HTR8/SVneo cells (a trophoblast cell line) and the tube formation ability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, the interleukin-32/miR-205 loop increased MMP2 and MMP9 expression in HTR-8/SVneo cells via the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway. Finally, using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, interleukin-32 and miR-205 expression levels were significantly lower in the placentas of patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension than in women with normal pregnancies. In conclusion, interleukin-32 regulates trophoblast invasion through the miR-205-nuclear factor kappa B-MMP2/9 pathway, which is involved in pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Prediction of pregnancy survival in lactating dairy cows can be determined by the conceptus attachment timeframe via daily pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB) monitoring. All factors contributing to reduced fertility in dairy cows receiving AI following estrus detection remain unclear. This study aimed to determine differences in time to conceptus attachment in lactating cows treated with the fertility program Double-Ovsynch compared to cows that were detected in estrus. Additionally, we investigated various pre- and post-conception factors potentially influencing fertility outcomes. We hypothesized that AI following a natural estrus detected with automated activity monitors would lead to an extended time to conceptus attachment and lower PSPB concentrations post-attachment compared to Double-Ovsynch. There were no differences in the average time to conceptus attachments between treatments. However, cows inseminated post-estrus that experienced pregnancy loss between conceptus attachment and 60-66 days post-AI exhibited diminished PSPB concentrations on Days 2 and 3 following conceptus attachment. Steroid hormone interactions were assessed with radioimmunoassay to determine the ratios of estrogen to progesterone concentrations on the day of the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. Notably, estrogen to progesterone ratio proved to predict conceptus attachment in cows subjected to Double-Ovsynch but not in those inseminated post-estrus detection surge. In conclusion, the estrogen to progesterone ratio measured around the time of the pre-ovulatory LH surge emerges as a potentially effective tool for estimating the fertility potential of lactating dairy cows undergoing timed AI, particularly in the context of the Double-Ovsynch program.