Calcium (Ca2+) signals initiate egg activation across the animal kingdom and in at least
some plants. These signals are crucial for the success of development and, in the case of …

In 1996, when Dolly the sheep was born, a new, utopian era was expected to begin. Science
fiction and popular culture instantly threatened the public with shortly upcoming human …

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from the inner cell mass of preimplantation
blastocysts. From agricultural and biomedical perspectives, the derivation of stable ESCs …

Bovine embryonic stem cells (bESCs) extend the lifespan of the transient pluripotent bovine
inner cell mass in vitro. After years of research, derivation of stable bESCs was only recently …

The most fundamental unresolved issue of fertilization is to define how the sperm activates
the egg to begin embryo development. Egg activation at fertilization in all species thus far …

Infertility affects one in seven couples globally and has recently been classified as a disease
by the World Health Organisation (WHO). While in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) offers effective …

The first two differentiation events in the embryo result in three cell types–epiblast,
trophectoderm (TE) and hypoblast. The purpose here was to identify molecular markers for …

Upon fertilization or parthenogenesis, zinc is released into the extracellular space through a
series of exocytic events termed zinc sparks, which are tightly coordinated with intracellular …

Abstract Background Use of RNA-Seq presents unique benefits in terms of gene expression
analysis because of its wide dynamic range and ability to identify functional sequence …

Purpose Sperm-borne PLCζ protein induces Ca 2+ oscillations in the oocyte and is believed
to play a major role during oocyte activation. However, its implication in fertilization failure …