Zebrafish are an established research organism that has made many contributions to our
understanding of vertebrate tissue and organ development, yet there are still significant …

The assembly of primordial follicles in mammals represents one of the most critical
processes in ovarian biology. It directly affects the number of oocytes available to a female …

Cumulus cells (CCs) are distinct from other granulosa cells and the mutual communication
between CCs and oocytes is essential for the establishment of oocyte competence. In the …

Oogenesis is a complex developmental process that involves spatiotemporally regulated
coordination between the germline and supporting, somatic cell populations. This process …

Various morphological and cytological traits of oocytes and their surrounding cumulus cells
may be used to select oocytes for assisted reproduction. However, even with careful …

Background Partial loss of function of the transcription factor FOXL2 leads to premature
ovarian failure in women. In animal models, Foxl2 is required for maintenance, and possibly …

Variation in reproductive lifespan and female fertility have implications for health, population
size and ageing. Fertility declines well before general signs of menopause and is also …

During female reproductive life, ovarian follicle reserve is reduced by maturation and atresia
until menopause ensues. Foxo3 is required to maintain the ovarian reserve in mice. Here we …

OBJECTIVE: To identify genes that are expressed differently during final oocyte maturation
and early embryonic development in humans. DESIGN: Comparison of gene expression …

The mid-cycle surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) induces ovulation, a process during which
a fertilizable oocyte is released from a mature ovarian follicle. Although ovulation is a …