BACKGROUND Transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) superfamily signaling is implicated in the development of sex cord-stromal tumors, a category of poorly defined gonadal tumors. The aim of this study was to determine potential effects of dysregulated TGFB signaling in the ovary using Cre recombinase driven by growth differentiation factor 9 (Gdf9) promoter known to be expressed in oocytes. ME...

INTRODUCTION We have recently demonstrated that antiandrogen treatment during fetal life resulted in delayed folliculogenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of androgen deficiency induced by flutamide on the expression of TGFβ superfamily members and their receptors which are involved in follicle formation and its transition to the primary stage. MATERIAL AND METH...

The FecB, a mutation in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor IB (BMPR-IB) gene, which increases the fecundity of Booroola Merino sheep, and FecGH, a mutation in the Growth and Differentiation Factor 9 (GDF9), which affects the fecundity of Cambridge and Belclare sheep in a dose sensitive manner, were analyzed as candidate genes associated with the prolificacy in Rayini goats. These polymorph...

Background:  Access to sheep genome sequences significantly improves the chances of identifying genes that may influence the health, welfare, and productivity of these animals.   Methods:  A public, searchable DNA sequence resource for U.S. sheep was created with whole genome sequence (WGS) of 96 rams.  The animals shared minimal pedigree relationships and represent nine popular U.S. breeds and...

The Finnish Landrace (Finnsheep) is a well known high-prolificacy sheep breed and has been used in many countries as a source of genetic material to increase fecundity of local breeds. Analyses to date have indicated that mutations with a large effect on ovulation rate are not responsible for the exceptional prolificacy of Finnsheep. The objectives of this study were to ascertain if: 1) any of ...

In mammals, oocytes within the primordial follicles require a number of essential factors tomaintain their survival. However, the survival factors for activated oocytes have been poorly characterized. Recently we reported that damaged DNA binding protein-1 (DDB1), the linker subunit of the cullin ring-finger ubiquitin E3 ligase-4 (CRL4) complex, and its substrate adaptor,DDB1-CUL4 associated fa...

This study aimed to describe the abundance and localization of BMP2, BMP6, BMP15, GDF9, BMPR1A, BMPR1B, BMPR2 and TGFBR1 mRNA during pig preovulatory follicular development and to evaluate their implication in improving follicular maturity in the preovulatory period preceding the second versus first post-weaning oestrus. Oocytes, granulosa (GC) and theca cells (TC) were recovered from antral fo...

OBJECTIVES The present day challenge is how to obtain germ cells from stem cells to treat patients with cancer and infertility. Much more efforts have been made to develop a procedure for attaining germ cells in vitro. Recently, human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) have been introduced with higher efficacy for differentiation. In this work, we tried to explore the effica...