Each follicle represents the basic functional unit of the ovary. From its very initial stage of
development, the follicle consists of an oocyte surrounded by somatic cells. The oocyte …

Sexual reproduction requires the fertilization of a female gamete after it has undergone
optimal development. Various aspects of oocyte development and many molecular actors in …

MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) is a widely recognized integrator of signals and
pathways key for cellular metabolism, proliferation, and differentiation. Here we show that …

The mammalian oocyte possesses powerful reprogramming factors, which can reprogram
terminally differentiated germ cells (sperm) or somatic cells within a few cell cycles. Although …

The estrous cycle is regulated by rhythmic endocrine interactions of the nervous and
reproductive systems, which coordinate the hormonal and ovulatory functions of the ovary …

During oocyte maturation, changes in gene expression depend exclusively on translation
and degradation of maternal mRNAs rather than transcription. Execution of this translation …

Mature mammalian sperm contain a complex population of RNAs some of which might
regulate spermatogenesis while others probably play a role in fertilization and early …

In 2004, the identification of female germline or oogonial stem cells (OSCs) that can support
post–natal oogenesis in ovaries of adult mice sparked a major paradigm shift in reproductive …

Preimplantation development is marked by four major events: the transition of maternal
transcripts to zygotic transcripts, compaction, the first lineage differentiation into inner cell …

The gonadal soma-derived factor (GSDF) belongs to the transforming growth factor-β
superfamily and is conserved in teleostean fish species. Gsdf is specifically expressed in the …