Background Oocyte growth is accompanied by follicular development in mammalian
ovaries. Since the discovery of two oocyte‐derived factors, growth differentiation factor 9 …

In recent years, exciting progress has been made towards unravelling the complex
intraovarian control mechanisms that, in concert with systemic signals, coordinate the …

Belclare and Cambridge are prolific sheep breeds, the origins of which involved selecting
ewes with exceptionally high litter size records from commercial flocks. The variation in …

Multiple ovulations are uncommon in humans, cattle and many breeds of sheep. Pituitary
gonadotrophins and as yet unidentified ovarian factors precisely regulate follicular …

Using molecular, cellular, and genetic approaches, recent studies examining the role of the
bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family of growth factors in the reproductive system have …

The assembly of the primordial follicles early in ovarian development and the subsequent
development and transition of the primordial follicle to the primary follicle are critical …

In developing ovarian follicles, the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation is tightly
coordinated. Precisely how this coordination is achieved is unknown, but recent …

Ovarian follicular development occurs in a hierarchical manner with each follicle having a
unique biochemical composition at any moment in time. It has long been understood that a …

Cytokines are key regulators of ovarian physiology, particularly in relation to folliculogenesis
and ovulation, where they contribute to creating an environment supporting follicle selection …

Members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily have wide-ranging
influences on many tissue and organ systems including the ovary. Two recently discovered …