Meiosis is the basis of sexual reproduction. In female mammals, meiosis of oocytes starts
before birth and sustains at the dictyate stage of meiotic prophase I before gonadotropins …

Mammalian eggs (oocytes) are formed during fetal life and establish associations with
somatic cells to form primordial follicles that create a store of germ cells (the primordial pool) …

Two major functions of the mammalian ovary are the production of germ cells (oocytes),
which allow continuation of the species, and the generation of bioactive molecules, primarily …

A central dogma of mammalian reproductive biology is that the size of the primordial follicle
pool represents reproductive capacity in females. The assembly of the primordial follicle …

During the peri-ovulatory period, the gonadotropin LH triggers major changes in both the
somatic and germ cell compartments of the ovarian follicle. The oocyte completes the …

Mammalian oocytes are arrested in meiotic prophase by an inhibitory signal from the
surrounding somatic cells in the ovarian follicle. In response to luteinizing hormone (LH) …

Meiotic progression in mammalian preovulatory follicles is controlled by the granulosa cells
around the oocyte. Cyclic GMP (cGMP) generated in the granulosa cells diffuses through …

The developing fetus requires substantial amounts of fatty acids to support rapid cellular
growth and activity. Although the fatty acid composition delivered to the fetus is largely …

Adenylyl cyclases (ACs) generate the second messenger cAMP from ATP. Mammalian cells
express nine transmembrane AC (mAC) isoforms (AC1–9) and a soluble AC (sAC, also …

Mammalian oocytes grow and undergo meiosis within ovarian follicles. Oocytes are arrested
at the first meiotic prophase, held in meiotic arrest by the surrounding follicle cells until a …