Review
Cell Biology
Meina He, Tuo Zhang, Yi Yang, Chao Wang
Summary: Meiosis is essential for sexual reproduction, with oocytes in female mammals beginning meiosis before birth and sustaining it through dictyate stage before ovulation. Fine-tuning of meiotic progression is crucial for fertility, as any disruption can lead to oogenesis failure and impact overall reproductive health. Understanding the regulatory network of oocyte meiosis is key to comprehending mammalian reproduction and the consequences of misregulation on infertility.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Rebecca L. Krisher
Summary: This review examines the current use of in vitro oocyte maturation in clinical settings, including its different definitions in practice. It discusses the role of in vitro oocyte maturation in patient care and the challenges for implementation, as well as exploring its efficiency and safety. The review also discusses the role of in vitro oocyte maturation in oncofertility and provides an outlook for its future in clinical settings.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Lingli Huang, Wenqing Li, Xingxing Dai, Shuai Zhao, Bo Xu, Fengsong Wang, Ren-Tao Jin, Lihua Luo, Limin Wu, Xue Jiang, Yu Cheng, Jiaqi Zou, Caoling Xu, Xianhong Tong, Heng-Yu Fan, Han Zhao, Jianqiang Bao
Summary: This study identified and characterized novel biallelic variants in MAD2L1BP responsible for oocyte maturation arrest at MI, providing new therapeutic avenues for female primary infertility.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Weijie Wang, Jing Guo, Juanzi Shi, Qun Li, Biaobang Chen, Zhiqi Pan, Ronggui Qu, Jing Fu, Rong Shi, Xia Xue, Jian Mu, Zhihua Zhang, Tianyu Wu, Wenjing Wang, Lin Zhao, Qiaoli Li, Lin He, Xiaoxi Sun, Qing Sang, Ge Lin, Lei Wang
Summary: PABPC1L gene variants are responsible for female infertility characterized by oocyte maturation arrest. These variants result in truncated proteins, reduced abundance, altered localization, and decreased mRNA translational activation. PABPC1L plays an important role in human oocyte maturation and could be a potential candidate gene for infertility causes.
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Yue Xue, Tie-Gang Meng, Ying-Chun Ouyang, Sai-Li Liu, Jia-Ni Guo, Zhen-Bo Wang, Heide Schatten, Chun-Ying Song, Xing-Ping Guo, Qing-Yuan Sun
Summary: This study found that Miro1 plays a crucial role in the maturation process of mouse oocytes by regulating mitochondrial homeostasis.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xin-Ran Zhang, Ying-Chun Ouyang, Tie-Gang Meng, Hong-Yong Zhang, Wei Yue, Feng-Ze Yan, Yue Xue, Heide Schatten, Zhen-Bo Wang, Qing-Yuan Sun
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of OTSSP167 on reproductive capability in female mice and found that it can block the development of oocytes, leading to a decrease in their quantity and quality. Additionally, OTSSP167 can induce follicular atresia and decrease the number of follicles at different stages of development.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Jessica E. Fellmeth, Kim S. McKim
Summary: Drosophila has been a valuable model organism for studying meiosis, particularly in females, due to its genetic and cytological tools. It is also a good model for mammalian meiosis due to biological similarities.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Narumi Ogonuki, Hirohisa Kyogoku, Toshiaki Hino, Yuki Osawa, Yasuhiro Fujiwara, Kimiko Inoue, Tetsuo Kunieda, Seiya Mizuno, Hiroyuki Tateno, Fumihiro Sugiyama, Tomoya S. Kitajima, Atsuo Ogura
Summary: The efficiency of spermatocyte injection can be improved greatly by reducing the size of the recipient oocytes, and this technique shows potential for treating nonobstructive azoospermia caused by meiotic failure.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lin-Lin Hu, Hong-Ge Li, Xiao-Mei Li, Yi Xu, Ya-Qin Pang, Bin Wang, Jun-Li Wang, Shao-Chen Sun
Summary: This study reported the protective effects of melatonin on the quality of oocytes exposed to Nonylphenol (NP). Melatonin reduced oxidative stress and DNA damage, improved the function of organelles, such as mitochondria and lysosomes, and enhanced the development ability of NP-exposed oocytes.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Tereza Pauerova, Lenka Radonova, Adela Horakova, Jason G. G. Knott, Martin Anger
Summary: The study found that the expression of securin protein in oocytes during female meiosis is compartmentalized, accumulating on the spindle during meiosis I, possibly impacting the regulation of separase activity directly.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Juan Ge, Na Zhang, Shoubin Tang, Feifei Hu, Xiaojing Hou, Hongzheng Sun, Longsen Han, Qiang Wang
Summary: Maternal diabetes impairs oocyte quality, but controlling the PDK1-mediated Ser232-PDHE1α phosphorylation pathway can partly protect oocytes from the effects of diabetes.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Ping-Shuang Lu, Lan-Ping Xie, Xiao-Han Kong, Yi Xu, Shao-Chen Sun
Summary: In this study, exposure to POD significantly reduced the developmental competence of mouse oocytes, affecting the distribution and function of organelles such as endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. This exposure induced vesicle-based protein transport disorder and aberrant accumulation of lysosomes, as well as disruption of the perinuclear distribution of mitochondria.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ying Ying, Shuang Liu, Yixuan Wu, Sichen Li, Qing Huang
Summary: The study found that ACA may lead to abnormal meiosis in oocytes, but no evidence of ACA entering oocytes was observed, suggesting the need for further exploration of the underlying mechanisms.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY AND ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Pantu Kumar Roy, Ahmad Yar Qamar, Bereket Molla Tanga, Xun Fang, Ghangyong Kim, Seonggyu Bang, Jongki Cho
Summary: The study investigated the effect of milrinone supplementation during in vitro maturation on porcine oocytes and cloned embryo development. Results showed that milrinone improved maturation and blastocyst development rates in less competent oocytes, potentially due to coordinated cytoplasmic and nuclear maturation. Milrinone supplementation also led to higher expression levels of reprogramming-related genes in oocytes, indicating its usefulness for proper nuclear reprogramming in cloned embryo production.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Hao Qin, Yi Qu, Yi-Feng Yuan, Yang-Yang Li, Jie Qiao
Summary: This study revealed that RBM14 is down-regulated in oocytes from old mice and shows overlapped localization patterns with alpha-tubulin in different stages of meiosis. Knockdown of RBM14 may result in symmetric division of oocytes, spindle defects, and chromosome abnormalities. Additionally, RBM14 interacts with endogenous alpha-tubulin and modulates oocyte meiotic maturation by affecting alpha-tubulin acetylation.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chengli Fang, Steven J. Philips, Xiaoxian Wu, Kui Chen, Jing Shi, Liqiang Shen, Juncao Xu, Yu Feng, Thomas V. O'Halloran, Yu Zhang
Summary: MerR family transcription factors are able to reshape promoter DNA through clamp-like protein-DNA interactions, promoting productive promoter-polymerase association without canonical protein-protein contacts seen in other activator proteins. These structural and biochemical findings strongly support the DNA distortion paradigm for allosteric transcriptional control by MerR TFs.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hunter B. Rogers, Luhan T. Zhou, Atsuko Kusuhara, Emily Zaniker, Saman Shafaie, Benjamin C. Owen, Francesca E. Duncan, Teresa K. Woodruff
Summary: Researchers engineered the first female reproductive tract on a chip (EVATAR) for sex-based ex vivo research, and explored the use of 3D printing technologies to create 3DP microphysiologic platforms. They found potential toxicity in certain 3D-printed resins towards oocytes, underscoring the importance of rigorous evaluation and designation of biocompatible materials for biomedical applications.
Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Teresa K. Woodruff, Lauren Ataman-Millhouse, Kelly S. Acharya, Teresa Almeida-Santos, Antoinette Anazodo, Richard A. Anderson, Leslie Appiah, Joy Bader, Kerri Becktell, Robert E. Brannigan, Lesley Breech, Maria T. Bourlon, Zana Bumbuliene, Karen Burns, Lisa Campo-Engelstein, Jacira R. Campos, Grace M. Centola, Mauricio Barbour Chehin, Diane Chen, Michel De Vos, Francesca E. Duncan, Ahmed El-Damen, Douglas Fair, Yemi Famuyiwa, Patricia Y. Fechner, Paula Fontoura, Olivia Frias, Sabrina A. Gerkowicz, Jill Ginsberg, Clarisa R. Gracia, Kara Goldman, Veronica Gomez-Lobo, Brent Hazelrigg, Michael H. Hsieh, Luis R. Hoyos, Alfonso Hoyos-Martinez, Robert Jach, Jacek Jassem, Murid Javed, Yasmin Jayasinghe, Roohi Jeelani, Jacqueline S. Jeruss, Nalini Kaul-Mahajan, Jessica Keim-Malpass, Tyler G. Ketterl, Mohamed Khrouf, Dana Kimelman, Atsuko Kusuhara, William H. Kutteh, Monica M. Laronda, Jung Ryeol Lee, Vicky Lehmann, Joseph M. Letourneau, Lynda K. McGinnis, Eileen McMahon, Lillian R. Meacham, Monserrat Fabiola Velez Mijangos, Molly Moravek, Leena Nahata, George Moses Ogweno, Kyle E. Orwig, Mary Ellen Pavone, Fedro Alessandro Peccatori, Romina Ileana Pesce, Hanna Pulaski, Gwendolyn Quinn, Ramiro Quintana, Tomas Quintana, Bruno Ramalho de Carvalho, Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, Joyce Reinecke, Fernando M. Reis, Julie Rios, Alice S. Rhoton-Vlasak, Kenny A. Rodriguez-Wallberg, Cassandra Roeca, Seth J. Rotz, Erin Rowell, Mahmoud Salama, Amanda J. Saraf, Anibal Scarella, Tara Schafer-Kalkhoff, Deb Schmidt, Suneeta Senapati, Divya Shah, Ariella Shikanov, Margarett Shnorhavorian, Jodi L. Skiles, James F. Smith, Kristin Smith, Fabio Sobral, Kyle Stimpert, H. Irene Su, Kouhei Sugimoto, Nao Suzuki, Mili Thakur, David Victorson, Luz Viale, Wendy Vitek, W. Hamish Wallace, Ellen A. Wartella, Lynn M. Westphal, Stacy Whiteside, Lea H. Wilcox, Christine Wyns, Shuo Xiao, Jing Xu, Mary Zelinski
Summary: The Oncofertility Consortium is an international initiative addressing the reproductive futures of cancer survivors and individuals undergoing fertility-limiting treatments. Through open information sharing, the community aims to provide the best care for patients and prepare for future challenges in the field.
JOURNAL OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Denana Miodragovic, Wenan Qiang, Zohra Sattar Waxali, Zeljko Vitnik, Vesna Vitnik, Yi Yang, Annie Farrell, Matthew Martin, Justin Ren, Thomas O'Halloran
Summary: Patients with triple negative breast cancers have limited treatment options and drug resistance is a major obstacle. Arsenoplatins represent a novel class of anticancer agents with higher cytotoxicities compared to cisplatin.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
John F. Seeler, Ajay Sharma, Nestor J. Zaluzec, Reiner Bleher, Barry Lai, Emma G. Schultz, Brian M. Hoffman, Carole LaBonne, Teresa K. Woodruff, Thomas O'Halloran
Summary: Mammalian and amphibian oocytes both undergo zinc sparks upon fertilization, accompanied by dynamic calcium waves on the cell surface. Zinc and manganese are sequestered in cortical granules abundant at the animal pole, and their fluxes serve as a physiological block to polyspermy.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Aaron C. Sue, Sarah M. Wignall, Teresa K. Woodruff, Thomas O'Halloran
Summary: This study investigates the role of zinc transporters in reproductive systems using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model. Phenotypic analysis of mutants reveals that two zinc transporters, ZIPT-2.4 and ZIPT-15, play an important role in reproductive output and gonad development. These findings suggest a complex zinc trafficking network that is crucial for reproductive success.
JOURNAL OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Ying Chen, Thomas V. O'Halloran
Summary: Zinc is crucial for living organisms, and it has been discovered that the ZNG1 family of GTPases function as metallochaperones, directly transferring zinc to and activating methionine aminopeptidases which play essential roles in protein modification during or after translation.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
David Z. Zee, Christopher P. Singer, Thomas V. O'Halloran
Summary: Hg-199 NMR is a tool used for studying coordination chemistry in biochemical and inorganic complexes. It was traditionally associated with the use of a highly toxic chemical, dimethylmercury, as a reference standard. However, after the tragic death of Dr. Karen Wetterhahn, the community has shifted towards using alternative mercury reference standards to avoid exposure.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yang Yang, Tanya Y. Tian, Teresa K. Woodruff, Benjamin F. Jones, Brian Uzzi
Summary: The changing demographics in science have raised questions about research team diversity and outcomes. This study examines mixed-gender research teams in the medical sciences, analyzing 6.6 million papers published since 2000. The findings show that mixed-gender teams are underrepresented but their publications are more novel and impactful compared to same-gender teams. The study also finds that the gender balance on a team correlates with better performance measures. These patterns hold across medical subfields and persist even after controlling for various factors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rebecca A. Rasmussen, Suning Wang, Jeannie M. Camarillo, Victoria Sosnowski, Byoung-Kyu Cho, Young Ah Goo, Julius B. Lucks, Thomas O'Halloran
Summary: This study reveals that the zinc-sensing transcription factor Zur in E. coli can up-regulate the expression of ribosomal protein L31 through a double repression cascade, allowing bacteria to respond to host-induced nutrient limiting conditions.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Hideyuki Iwahata, So-Youn Kim, Yuriko Iwahata, Nao Suzuki, Teresa K. Woodruff
Summary: Cancer therapy can cause ovarian insufficiency, and current methods for fertility preservation in female cancer patients are limited. This study investigates the potential protective effects of triiodothyronine (T3) on apoptosis induced by cisplatin and X-ray in mouse ovaries, as well as in breast cancer cells. The findings suggest that T3 is not effective as a fertoprotective agent and its candidacy for fertility preservation should be reconsidered.
JOURNAL OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mariana I. Giassetti, Deqiang Miao, Nathan C. Law, Melissa J. Oatley, Julie Park, LeeLa D. Robinson, Lisette A. Maddison, Miranda L. Bernhardt, Jon M. Oatley
Summary: The molecule ARRDC5 is identified as an essential regulator of mammalian spermatogenesis, and its deficiency leads to male infertility. This finding implicates ARRDC5 as a potential target for male contraception.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Elnur Babayev, Min Xu, Lonnie D. Shea, Teresa K. Woodruff, Francesca E. Duncan
Summary: This study investigates the impact of enzymatic digestion on follicle function and compares follicle collection methods. The results show that mechanical isolation promotes follicle growth and function better, and preserves theca-interstitial cell layer on the outer edge of the follicle. Additionally, the study finds that in the absence of theca-interstitial cells, granulosa cells have the potential to differentiate into androgen-producing cells.
MOLECULAR HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2022)