Only a fraction of oocytes present in the ovaries at birth are ever ovulated during the lifetime
of a female mammal. In vitro maturation (IVM) offers the possibility to exploit what is a largely …

Growth and differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) are
oocyte-secreted factors with a leading role in the control of ovarian function in female …

Oocyte development is characterized by impressive changes in chromatin structure and
function in the germinal vesicle (GV) that are crucial in conferring to the oocyte meiotic and …

Heat stress is a major threat to cattle reproduction today. It has been shown that the effect of
high temperature not only has a negative effect on the hormonal balance, but also directly …

Native cattle breeds can carry specific signatures of selection reflecting their adaptation to
the local environmental conditions and response to the breeding strategy used. In this study …

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous molecules that are involved in a diverse of
cellular process. However, little is known about their abundance in bovine oocytes and their …

Cumulus cells (CC) surround the oocyte and are coupled metabolically through regulation of
nutrient intake. CC removal before in vitro maturation (IVM) decreases bovine oocyte …

Background Since the times of domestication, cattle have been continually shaped by the
influence of humans. Relatively recent history, including breed formation and the still …

Background Single embryo transfer (SET) is the most successful way to reduce the
frequency of multiple pregnancies following in vitro fertilisation. However, selecting the …

Oocytes acquire developmental competence with progressive folliculogenesis. Cumulus
oocyte complexes (COCs) from small antral follicles have inherent low competence and are …