Estrogen inhibits granulosa cell apoptosis via nuclear receptors by suppressing death receptor and mitochondrial pathways in goat small antral follicles.

Small antral follicles frequently undergo atresia due to inadequate gonadotropin support, characterized by reduced estrogen synthesis and granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis. The role of estrogen in regulating GC apoptosis during follicular atresia remains incompletely defined. Caprine small antral follicles (1-2 mm) were isolated and cultured in vitro under serum- and gonadotropin-free conditions to induce atresia, with or without 17β-estradiol (E) supplementation.

Rab10 regulates cortical granule translocation and ZP2 dynamics for zona pellucida function during oocyte maturation.

Successful fertilization is important for early embryo development and offspring generation. Cortical granules, which are formed in the cytoplasm, are transported to the cortex to avoid polyspermy, which prevents sperm penetration into oocytes. The underlying mechanism is still largely unknown.

Nitric oxide regulates spindle dynamics to modulate the maturation of goat oocytes.

Oocyte maturation is a complex and tightly regulated process. Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in the regulation of oocyte maturation, but its precise mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, the inhibition of NO synthase activity using L-NMMA was found to impair meiosis and inhibit the maturation of goat oocytes.

Single-cell sequencing reveals alterations in the ovarian immune microenvironment regulated by 17β-estradiol in neonatal mice.

The immunomodulatory function of estrogen within the ovary remains a subject of ongoing debate, and the neonatal ovarian immune microenvironment, particularly its modulation by estrogen, has not been comprehensively characterized. In this study, the effects of 17β-estradiol (E ), a key regulator of immune function, were investigated using single-cell transcriptomic profiling of C57BL/6J neonatal mouse ovaries after E treatment. Results revealed dynamic alterations in the proportion of immune cell types after E treatment, accompanied by changes in cytokine and chemokine expression.

Regulation of perinatal estrogen levels on primordial follicle formation and activation in mouse.

Primordial follicle formation and activation are key for the reproductive ability of females. In mice, primordial follicles are formed and begin to activate during the perinatal period, when the levels of estrogen are fluctuating. Whether estrogen plays a role in primordial follicle formation and activation, and its mechanism are still not fully elucidated.

The GPER is an important factor through which somatic cells regulate oocyte maternal mRNA translation and developmental competence.

The G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) plays a crucial role in various biological processes, but its regulation of oocyte meiosis remains unclear. In this study, we generated a Gper1 knockout in growing oocytes using Zp3-Cre, revealing that GPER is essential for oocyte maturation and embryo development. RNA-seq analysis indicated that GPER deficiency significantly altered the oocyte transcriptome and disrupted mRNA translation.

Single-cell sequencing reveals the transcriptional alternations of 17β-estradiol suppressing primordial follicle formation in neonatal mouse ovaries.

Estrogen has been implicated in multiple biological processes, but the variation underlying estrogen-mediated primordial follicle (PF) formation remains unclear. Here, we show that 17β-estradiol (E) treatment of neonatal mice led to the inhibition of PF formation and cell proliferation. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revealed that E treatment caused significant changes in the transcriptome of oocytes and somatic cells.

Estrogen influences the transzonal projection assembly of cumulus-oocyte complexes through G protein-coupled estrogen receptor during goat follicle development.

Estrogen is an important hormone that plays a role in regulating follicle development and oocyte maturation. Transzonal projections (TZPs) act as communication bridges between follicle somatic cells and oocytes, and their dynamic changes are critical for oocyte development and maturation. However, the roles and mechanisms of estrogen in regulating TZPs during follicular development are not yet understood.

Kinesin KIF3A regulates meiotic progression and spindle assembly in oocyte meiosis.

Kinesin family member 3A (KIF3A) is a microtubule-oriented motor protein that belongs to the kinesin-2 family for regulating intracellular transport and microtubule movement. In this study, we characterized the critical roles of KIF3A during mouse oocyte meiosis. We found that KIF3A associated with microtubules during meiosis and depletion of KIF3A resulted in oocyte maturation defects.

Intermittent fasting improves the oocyte quality of obese mice through the regulation of maternal mRNA storage and translation by LSM14B.

Obesity has significant repercussions for female reproductive health, including adverse effects on oocyte quality, fertility, embryo development and offspring health. Here, we showed that intermittent fasting (IF) has several notable effects on follicular development, oocyte development and maturation and offspring health in obese mice. IF treatment prevents obesity-associated germline-soma communication defects, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative damage, apoptosis, and spindle/chromosomal disruption.

Growth differentiation factor 9 regulates the expression of estrogen receptors via Smad2/3 signaling in goat cumulus cells.

Both oocyte secretory factors (OSFs) and estrogen are essential for the development and function of mammalian ovarian follicles, playing synergistic role in regulating oocyte growth. OSFs can significantly affect the biological processes regulated by estrogen in cumulus cells (CCs). It is a scientific question worth investigating whether oocyte secretory factors can influence the expression of estrogen receptors in CCs.

C-Type Natriuretic Peptide Pre-Treatment Improves Maturation Rate of Goat Oocytes by Maintaining Transzonal Projections, Spindle Morphology, and Mitochondrial Function.

C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a peptide molecule naturally found in follicles and can be used to extend meiotic resumption and enhance the potential for oocytes to develop. However, the mechanism by which CNP improves goat oocyte quality remains unclear. In this study, cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) from goats were pre-treated with CNP prior to IVM, and the results showed that pre-treatment with CNP enhanced goat oocyte maturation.

The Relationship between Mastitis and Antimicrobial Peptide S100A7 Expression in Dairy Goats.

S100A7 is an inflammation-related protein and plays an essential role in host defenses, yet there is little research about the relationship between mastitis and S100A7 expression in dairy goats. Here, according to the clinical diagnosis of udders, SCC, and bacteriological culture (BC) of milk, 84 dairy goats were grouped into healthy goats ( = 25), subclinical mastitis goats ( = 36), and clinical mastitis goats ( = 23). The S100A7 concentration in subclinical mastitis goats was significantly upregulated than in healthy dairy goats ( = 0.

E2/ER signaling mediates the meiotic arrest of goat intrafollicular oocytes induced by follicle-stimulating hormone.

The increased production of high-quality oocytes lies at the heart of the search to accelerate the reproduction of high-quality breeding livestock using assisted reproductive technology. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) maintains the arrest of oocyte meiosis during early follicular development in vivo and promotes the synchronous maturation of nucleus and cytoplasm to improve oocyte quality. However, the mechanism by which FSH maintains meiotic arrest in oocytes is still not fully understood.

C-type natriuretic peptide improves maternally aged oocytes quality by inhibiting excessive PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy.

The overall oocyte quality declines with aging, and this effect is strongly associated with a higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and the resultant oxidative damage. C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a well-characterized physiological meiotic inhibitor that has been successfully used to improve immature oocyte quality during in vitro maturation. However, the underlying roles of CNP in maternally aged oocytes have not been reported.

Immunolocalization of antibacterial peptide S100A7 in mastitis goat mammary gland and lipopolysaccharide induces the expression and secretion of S100A7 in goat mammary gland epithelial cells via TLR4/NFκB signal pathway.

The antimicrobial peptide S100A7, with antimicrobial activities for a broad spectrum of bacteria, has attracted more and more attention for the prevention and treatment of mastitis. However, there is little information about the expression and regulation mechanism of S100A7 in mastitis goats. This study revealed that S100A7 was mainly expressed in the stratified squamous epithelium of teat skin and streak canal, and S100A7 was present weakly in the healthy goat alveolus yet densely in the mastitis goat collapsed alveolus.

The formins inhibitor SMIFH2 inhibits the cytoskeleton dynamics and mitochondrial function during goat oocyte maturation.

The cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in facilitating the successful completion of the meiotic maturation of oocytes. Its influence extends to the process of oocyte nuclear maturation and the proper functioning of various organelles during cytoplasmic maturation. The formin family of proteins plays a crucial role in the molecular regulation of cytoskeletal assembly and organization; however, its role in goat oocytes are not fully understood.

Generation of sheep with defined FecB and TBXT mutations and porcine blastocysts with KCNJ5 mutation using prime editing.

Background: Rewriting the genomes of living organisms has been a long-standing aim in the biological sciences. The revelation of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology has revolutionized the entire biological field. Since its emergence, this technology has been widely applied to induce gene knockouts, insertions, deletions, and base substitutions.

Gut Microbiota and Acylcarnitine Metabolites Connect the Beneficial Association between Estrogen and Lipid Metabolism Disorders in Ovariectomized Mice.

Decreased estrogen level is one of the main causes of lipid metabolism disorders and coronary heart disease in women after menopause. Exogenous estradiol benzoate is effective to some extent in alleviating lipid metabolism disorders caused by estrogen deficiency. However, the role of gut microbes in the regulation process is not yet appreciated.

Sulforaphane prevents LPS-induced inflammation by regulating the Nrf2-mediated autophagy pathway in goat mammary epithelial cells and a mouse model of mastitis.

Background: Mastitis not only deteriorates the composition or quality of milk, but also damages the health and productivity of dairy goats. Sulforaphane (SFN) is a phytochemical isothiocyanate compound with various pharmacological effects such as anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. However, the effect of SFN on mastitis has yet to be elucidated.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium exerts anti-tumor effects on KGN cells in a cell density-dependent manner through activation of the Hippo pathway.

Background: The conditioned medium from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs-CM) provides a new cell-free therapy for tumors due to its unique secretome. However, there are many contradictory reports about the effect of UCMSCs-CM on tumor cells. The loss of contact inhibition is a common characteristic of tumor cells.

Sulforaphane Suppresses HO-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis via the Activation of AMPK/NFE2L2 Signaling Pathway in Goat Mammary Epithelial Cells.

Oxidative stress in high-yielding dairy goats adversely affects lactation length, milk quality, and the economics of dairy products. During the lactation period, goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs) are often in a state of disordered metabolic homeostasis primarily caused by the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Sulforaphane (SFN), an electrophilic compound that is enriched in broccoli, is a promising antioxidant agent for future potential clinical applications.

The Impact of Arp2/3 Complex Inhibition on Cytoskeleton Dynamics and Mitochondrial Function during Goat Oocyte Meiosis.

F-actin is of critical importance in oocyte meiotic maturation. Actin assembly and its dynamics are mainly regulated by actin nucleation factors. The actin-related protein complex 2/3 (Arp2/3) is responsible for the organization of F-actin filaments.

Intermittent fasting reverses the declining quality of aged oocytes.

Decreased oocyte quality and compromised embryo development are particularly prevalent in older females, but the aging-related cellular processes and effective ameliorative approaches have not been fully characterized. Intermittent fasting (IF) can help improve health and extend lifespan; nevertheless, how it regulates reproductive aging and its mechanisms remain unclear. We used naturally aged mice to investigate the role of IF in reproduction and found that just one month of every-other-day fasting was sufficient to improve oocyte quality.