Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kaori Nozawa, Zian Liao, Yuhkoh Satouh, Ting Geng, Masahito Ikawa, Diana Monsivais, Martin M. Matzuk
Summary: Wee1-like protein kinase 2 (WEE2) is an oocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase involved in the regulation of oocyte meiotic arrest. Knockout mouse models were developed to test the impact of Wee2 loss-of-function on female fertility. While a frameshift mutation had no effect, a larger deletion resulted in reduced litter size in homozygous Wee2 female knockout mice. Overall, loss of Wee2 had only minor effects on fertility in mice, suggesting alternative approaches should be considered for contraceptive development.
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.
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
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Min Gao, Yanling Qiu, Tianqi Cao, Dungao Li, Jingwen Wang, Yiren Jiao, Zhiyun Chen, Junjiu Huang
Summary: In this study, the role of HtrA2 in mouse oocyte maturation was investigated. The findings indicate that HtrA2 is a key regulator of oocyte maturation and its deficiency with age contributes to reproduction failure in females.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY AND ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Xiaoyi Wang, Melissa E. Pepling
Summary: This article discusses the meiotic process of female mammalian oocytes during embryonic development, highlighting the events and mechanisms from meiotic prophase one to metaphase two. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the mechanisms regulating meiotic progression to improve treatments for female infertility, as errors in meiosis can lead to aneuploidy.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Dulama Richani, Robert B. Gilchrist
Summary: Oocytes are maintained in a state of meiotic arrest until ovulation is triggered. Manipulation of cyclic nucleotides such as cGMP and cAMP can influence meiotic arrest and improve oocyte developmental competence. Pre-IVM modulation of cGMP and/or cAMP has shown consistent improvement in oocyte developmental competence.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2022)
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
Cell Biology
Saffet Ozturk
Summary: This review comprehensively evaluates the molecular determinants of developmental and permanent arrests occurring in mammalian oocytes, and discusses potential approaches for inducing permanent arrests to obtain competent oocytes.
Article
Cell Biology
Danni Wang, Hongzheng Sun, Jiaqi Zhang, Zhenyue Huang, Congyang Li, Longsen Han, Yongan Xin, Shoubin Tang, Juan Ge, Qiang Wang
Summary: FKBP25 plays a crucial role in oocyte maturation by affecting spindle assembly, chromosome alignment, and kinetochore-microtubule attachment. Depletion of FKBP25 results in elevated aneuploidy incidence in oocytes. Reduced levels of FKBP25 protein in old oocytes can be partly rescued by ectopic expression of FKBP25, which is also found to have phosphorylation at serine 163 affecting its action on meiotic maturation.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guangyi Cao
Summary: The correct assembly and regulation of the spindle apparatus are crucial for the precise separation of chromosomes in mouse oocytes. NUSAP1 is a spindle-associated protein that plays an important role in oocyte meiosis maturation. Its depletion leads to chromosome misalignment, aneuploidy, and abnormal spindle assembly.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yongliang Shang, Ju Huang, Weidong Li, Yanan Zhang, Xu Zhou, Qiqi Shao, Taicong Tan, Shen Yin, Liangran Zhang, Shunxin Wang
Summary: MEIOK21 plays important roles in regulating female meiosis and the number and quality of oocytes. Lack of MEIOK21 leads to a decrease in oocyte number, poor oocyte quality, and defects in meiotic recombination and crossover maturation.
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
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shu-Zi Deng, Chang-Long Xu, Zhong-Feng Xu, Li-Ying Zhou, Shu-Juan Xie, Kang-Na Wei, Yuan-Chang Jin, Zhao-Cheng Zeng, Xiang-Jun Yang, Shu-Hua Tan, Hai-Long Wang
Summary: PFDA exposure negatively impacts mouse oocyte meiosis and developmental potential by obstructing the function of maturation-promoting factor, inducing dysfunction of spindle assembly checkpoint, causing mitochondrial defections, breaking cytoskeleton, and inducing oocyte apoptosis. Additionally, PFDA leads to epigenetic modifications in oocytes and increases the frequency of mature oocytes with declined development potential.
Article
Cell Biology
Jing Wang, Zhiyong Zhuo, Xiao Ma, Yunjie Liu, Jing Xu, Changjiu He, Yao Fu, Feng Wang, Pengyun Ji, Lu Zhang, Guoshi Liu
Summary: The study found that melatonin protects against nuclear inhibition caused by hypoxanthine and restores oocyte meiosis via MT1 by reducing the intracellular concentration of cAMP.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Song-Hee Lee, Ming-Hong Sun, Dongjie Zhou, Wen-Jie Jiang, Xiao-Han Li, Geun Heo, Xiang-Shun Cui
Summary: Exposure to high temperature has been found to negatively affect the development of porcine oocytes. It induces mitochondrial dysfunction, ER stress, abnormal Golgi apparatus distribution, and lysosomal damage, leading to the failure of meiotic maturation in the oocytes.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
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)