Reproductive Biology and Fertility

Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment does not impair ovarian or endocrine function in a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer

Granulosa cell glycogen fuels the avascular corpus luteum

This study identifies GC energy storage as a mechanism enabling avascular corpus luteum function by glycogen catabolism, with implications for reproductive health.

Bovine in vitro blastocysts with distinct morphokinetic patterns show transcriptomic differences at genome activation

The paper uses morphokinetic analysis to classify bovine embryos into four blastocyst categories and identifies transcriptomic differences associated with genome activation.

Protein accumulation upstream of Cdk1 activation regulates the competence and the timing of meiosis resumption

The paper shows that protein accumulation upstream of Cdk1 activation regulates meiosis resumption timing and competence in oocytes through stepwise acquisition of regulatory mechanisms.

A Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein (DARPin) Targeting EGFR Inhibits Ovulation and Enables a Novel Platform for Studying Ovarian Biology and Pathophysiology

An engineered EGFR-targeting DARPin selectively inhibits ovulation through extracellular receptor blockade and establishes a versatile platform for investigating ovarian signaling and reproductive disorders.

Aging disrupts spatiotemporal coordination in the cycling murine ovary

This study uses spatial transcriptomics to show that aging disrupts spatial and temporal coordination of folliculogenesis in mouse ovaries, leading to tissue disorganization and reproductive decline.

Pubertal maturation and chemotherapy-associated disruption of the pediatric ovary revealed by multimodal single-cell profiling

The paper uses multimodal single-cell profiling to show how puberty and chemotherapy affect pediatric ovarian tissue, identifying vulnerabilities and a potential biomarker.

Spatial atlas of the ovary identifies molecular events in primordial follicle activation in humans

This study creates a comprehensive spatial atlas of the human ovarian cortex, revealing molecular mechanisms of primordial follicle activation and follicle niche organization.

Minimally invasive measurement of maternal transcripts enables predicting the developmental potential of mammalian zygotes

The paper identifies maternal transcripts linked to zygote developmental potential and demonstrates their use in predicting blastocyst formation with high specificity.

Elamipretide reverses female fertility decline during reproductive aging via regulating VEGF in oocytes

This study shows that elamipretide improves oocyte quality and fertility in aged females by enhancing nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation through the VEGF signaling pathway.

Microinjection-based Single-Cell Toxicological Assessment Reveals How Physiological Levels of PFOS Impair Oocyte Maturation and Developmental Competence

This paper uses a microinjection-based single-oocyte assay to show that PFOS impairs oocyte maturation and early development by causing spindle defects, oxidative stress, and transcriptional dysregulation.

Conditional replacement of the mouse LH receptor with GFP, enabling imaging of cell migration during ovulation

This paper describes a mouse line enabling conditional replacement of the LHR with GFP to study cell migration during ovulation.

Comparative single-cell transcriptomic roadmap of mammalian fetal ovarian development

This study creates a cross-species single-cell transcriptomic atlas of early ovarian development in cattle, human, and mouse, identifying shared and species-specific cell types and genes.

Chromatin- and actin-mediated mitochondrial streaming leads to patterning of mitochondrial distribution in oocytes

The paper identifies mechanisms of mitochondrial streaming in oocytes, showing actin-driven and chromatin-associated pathways that pattern mitochondrial distribution.

Inhibition of oogenic JNK preserves fertility and ovarian hormones during DNA-damaging cancer therapy

This study shows that inhibiting JNK in oocytes protects against chemotherapy-induced infertility and ovarian hormone loss in mice.

Camsap3-Mediated Microtubules Maintain Transzonal Projections Essential for Germline-Soma Communication during Ovarian Follicle Maturation in Mice

This study shows that Camsap3-mediated microtubules are essential for maintaining transzonal projections (TZPs) in mouse ovarian follicles, ensuring proper germline-soma communication during follicle maturation.

Glucose-dependent signalling pathways regulate TE differentiation in bovine embryos

This study shows glucose regulates trophectoderm differentiation in bovine embryos through Hippo signaling via HBP and PPP, not glycolysis.

Distinct HPO axis responses and ovarian aging trajectories to chronic unpredictable mild stress in reproductively young versus middle-aged female mice

This study shows that chronic unpredictable mild stress induces age-dependent ovarian aging and POI in young and middle-aged female mice, with distinct endocrine and transcriptomic responses.

Culture of preimplantation embryos in media containing L-proline increases intracellular GSH concentration throughout development

This study shows that adding L-proline to embryo culture media increases intracellular glutathione levels, reducing oxidative stress in preimplantation mouse embryos.

Stochastic Mechanism of Dominant Follicle Selection: Selection of One Suppresses Selection of Others

The paper proposes a stochastic mechanism for dominant follicle selection, showing how FSH and estradiol interact to ensure single follicle selection through negative feedback.

Vitrification-warming delays preimplantation development and impairs mitochondrial function and cytoplasmic lattices integrity in mouse embryos

This study shows that vitrification and warming of mouse embryos cause developmental delays and impair mitochondrial function and cytoplasmic lattice integrity.

Ex vivo live imaging unveils the dynamics of oocyte formation in mice

This study uses ex vivo live imaging to observe oocyte formation dynamics in mice, revealing blebbing activity during mitosis-to-meiosis transition and no organelle transfer between germ cells.

Beyond Histology: A Validated CUBIC-Based Workflow for Volumetric Analysis of Follicles and Cortical Vasculature in Human Ovarian Tissue

This paper validates a CUBIC-based workflow for volumetric analysis of follicles and vasculature in human ovarian tissue, showing comparable follicle density to histology and detailed vascular morphometrics.

Hormonally responsive bovine oviductal organoids recapitulate native oviductal secretions and enhance sperm capacitation

Bovine oviductal organoids treated with estradiol or a progesterone analog reproduce follicular and luteal transcriptomes and secretomes; estradiol-stimulated secretions boost bull sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction.

GPLD1 Regulates the Shedding of IZUMO1R to Block Polyspermy in Porcine Oocyte

The paper identifies GPLD1 as the enzyme mediating JUNO shedding in porcine oocytes, which is critical for preventing polyspermy and improving IVF outcomes.

NFYA regulates two sequential genome-wide transcriptional activation events during oocyte-to-embryo transition

This study identifies NFYA as a regulator of two sequential transcriptional activation events during oocyte-to-embryo transition, showing its role in primordial follicle activation and zygotic genome activation.

SELECTIVE TRANSCRIPTOMIC VULNERABILITY OF MEMBRANE-INTEGRATED ARCHITECTURES DURING NEURAL TISSUE VITRIFICATION

This study identifies selective transcriptomic vulnerabilities in neural tissues during vitrification, showing under-representation of membrane-integrated transcripts in the hippocampus.

Rapid in vitro platform for functional analysis of maternal effect genes during mouse oocyte growth

This paper introduces a rapid in vitro system for analyzing maternal effect genes during mouse oocyte growth using microinjection and culture, showing effective gene manipulation without compromising developmental competence.

Mitochondria-Associated Transcription Precedes Oxidative Phosphorylation Activation During Human Pre-Implantation Embryogenesis

This study reanalyzes single-cell RNA sequencing data to show that mitochondrial gene expression changes precede oxidative phosphorylation activation and lineage specification in human pre-implantation embryos.

Macrophages regulate meiotic initiation and germ cell clearance in the developing ovary

This study shows ovarian macrophages regulate germ cell meiotic entry, vascular growth, and germ cell clearance during oocyte reserve establishment.