Review
Biology
Paul M. Wassarman, Eveline S. Litscher
Summary: The presence of a zona pellucida (ZP) is essential for the fertility of female mammals, including mice and humans. It stabilizes the contacts between oocyte microvilli and follicle cell projections, supporting the development of growing oocytes and follicles. The absence of a ZP, due to gene inactivation or mutation, results in a loss of contacts and reduced production of ovulated eggs, leading to female infertility.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Angus D. Macaulay, Chyna S. Ortman, Kevin R. J. Moore, Jay M. Baltz
Summary: The detachment of the fully grown mammalian oocyte from the zona pellucida is mediated by a metallopeptidase, which cleaves the transmembrane ZP proteins that attach the oocyte to the zona pellucida. Inhibitors targeting the M10 and M12 families of metallopeptidases prevent detachment.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Chao Lv, Hua-Lin Huang, Da-Jing Yi, Tian-Liu Peng, Hang-Jing Tan, Ru-Ping Quan, Hong-Wen Deng, Hong-Mei Xiao
Summary: This study found that a mutation in the Zp1 gene resulted in the absence of ZP in rat oocytes, leading to infertility and loss of fertilization capacity.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sujin Lee, Hye Jin Kim, Ji-In Park, Hui Bang Cho, Ji Sun Park, Keun-Hong Park
Summary: The study found differences in penetration and delivery of fluorescent probes into oocytes, depending on their physiochemical properties including hydrophobicity, surfactant activity, and electrical charge. Additionally, some fluorescent probes may disrupt oocyte development. The results suggest that drug delivery efficiency in oocytes with high physical barriers can be estimated by considering the properties of the drug, and a carrier with similar properties to a fluorescent probe can be efficiently delivered into oocytes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Ma Jose Izquierdo-Rico, Carla Moros-Nicolas, Miriam Perez-Crespo, Ricardo Laguna-Barraza, Alfonso Gutierrez-Adan, Frederic Veyrunes, Jose Ballesta, Vincent Laudet, Pascale Chevret, Manuel Aviles
Summary: The study reveals that mice are the only eutherian species with a ZP formed of three glycoproteins, while others have four. The pseudogenization of Zp4 is restricted to the Mus subgenus, diverging around 6 million years ago. Experimental results show that a ZP formed of four glycoproteins is not a barrier for sperm of species with a ZP formed of three glycoproteins.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Ming-Hua Zeng, Yan Wang, Hua-Lin Huang, Ru-Ping Quan, Jun-Ting Yang, Dan Guo, Ying Sun, Chao Lv, Tian-Ying Li, Le Wang, Hang-Jin Tan, Pan-Pan Long, Hong-Wen Deng, Hong-Mei Xiao
Summary: The zona pellucida (ZP) is essential for female fertility in mammals, with ZP1-3 playing important roles. However, the function of ZP4 remains poorly understood. A study on Zp4 knockout (KO) rats found that Zp4 was dispensable for female fertility, as it did not affect ZP morphology or reproductive processes.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Alessandro Bartolacci, Giulia Intra, Giovanni Coticchio, Miriam dell'Aquila, Gilda Patria, Andrea Borini
Summary: This study aims to investigate the impact of oocyte dysmorphisms on the outcomes of assisted reproduction treatments based on the existing scientific literature. Eleven different dysmorphisms were identified, and the COC morphology, vacuoles, SER clusters, and granularity were found to be predominantly associated with negative outcomes.
JOURNAL OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ping Yang, Tailai Chen, Yuqing Liu, Zhenzhen Hou, Keliang Wu, Yongzhi Cao, Jiangtao Zhang, Zhao Wang, Han Zhao
Summary: Novel variants of ZP genes were identified in over half of the cohort with GEFS and oocyte degeneration, causing intracellular protein sequestration and failure to assemble ZP filaments, resulting in EFS and female infertility.
FERTILITY AND STERILITY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Kian Karimian, Robert Seydewitz, Dagmar Toepfer, Markus Boel
Summary: This study proposes a three-dimensional model for evaluating the mechanical response of oocytes using the finite element method. The model considers the contribution of each cellular component to the overall mechanical response and can identify the mechanical properties of cells. Through experimental validation and analysis, the researchers also investigate the influence of glycoprotein orientation on cell shape and deformation.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Zuzanna Ligocka, Agnieszka Partyka, Sabine Schaefer-Somi, Anna Mucha, Wojciech Nizanski
Summary: The use of cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrins (CLC) improves the motility and percentage of live spermatozoa, but decreases the binding ability of the sperm to the oocyte.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yue Du, Yizhe Chen, Shuai Zhang, Dai Cheng, Yaowei Liu, Qili Zhao, Mingzhu Sun, Maosheng Cui, Xin Zhao
Summary: This study developed a high-fidelity finite element model for describing the viscoelastic responses of oocytes under loading. By analyzing and characterizing the subcellular components of oocytes, the model accurately predicted the deformation of oocytes under different loading conditions. This model has important implications for further investigating the characteristics and behavior of oocytes.
Article
Cell Biology
Bo Yu, Helena T. A. van Tol, Tom A. E. Stout, Bernard A. J. Roelen
Summary: This study confirms the presence of cellular fragments in the perivitelline space of bovine IVP blastocysts through mechanical hatching, but this is not an indicator of embryo quality. Surprisingly, there is no significant difference in embryo quality between expanded blastocysts with and without cellular fragments in the perivitelline space.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Mingzhu Huo, Yile Zhang, Senlin Shi, Hao Shi, Yidong Liu, Lingyun Zhang, Yanchi Wang, Wenbin Niu
Summary: This study examined nine patients with oocyte maturation arrest and identified nine pathogenic variants in five genes, including three novel variants. These findings expand the understanding of the gene variant spectrum and provide insights for genetic diagnosis and prediction of oocyte maturation arrest.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chyna S. Ortman, Jay M. Baltz
Summary: It is found that detachment of the oocyte from the zona pellucida occurs before activation of independent cell volume regulation. Metallopeptidase inhibitors partially suppress the activation of cell volume regulation, indicating the requirement of oocyte-ZP detachment. However, removal of the zona pellucida does not accelerate the activation of cell volume regulation.
MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ivan Valdebenito, Elias Figueroa, Matias Valdebenito, Luis Paiva
Summary: The study characterized different chorion alterations observed in samples collected from salmon and trout farms in southern Chile over a period of 14 years. Soft chorion was identified as the most common alteration, primarily affecting Atlantic and Coho Salmon. Rainbow Trout exhibited fewer chorion alterations compared to the other two species. Results suggest that these alterations may be linked to changes in environmental conditions affecting the incubation water.
