Germline mutations in DNA repair genes are linked to tumor progression. Furthermore, failure in either activating a DNA damage checkpoint or repairing programmed meiotic double-strand breaks (DSBs) can impair chromosome segregation. Therefore, understanding the molecular basis for DNA damage response (DDR) and DSB repair (DSBR) within the germline is highly important. Here we define ZTF-8, a pr...

Meiosis is the characteristic feature of sexual reproduction; its molecular regulation has been preserved throughout eukaryotic evolution. The defining stage of meiosis is prophase I (Fig. 1), in which homologous chromosomes pair and remain tethered until the first meiotic division, when they must segregate equally into daughter cells that then enter meiosis II. The importance of this stage is ...

The molecular and structural changes in the follicle triggered by the gonadotropin luteinizing hormone (LH) at ovulation require complex interactions between somatic cells and the oocytes. It is well established that the signals originating from the oocytes play an essential role in orchestrating the growth and development of the follicle. Conversely, the exact contribution of local signals in ...

Degeneration of human male germ cells was analysed by means of light (LM) and transmission electron (TEM) microscopy. The frequency of degenerating cells was correlated with that of Fas-expressing germ cells in human testes with normal spermatogenesis (n = 10), complete early maturation arrest (EMA) (n = 10) or incomplete late maturation arrest (LMA; n = 10) of spermatogenesis. LM analysis of t...

A key event in the oocyte-to-embryo transition is the start of the embryonic mitotic cell cycle. Prior to this start, the cell cycle in oocytes is generally arrested at a particular stage during meiosis, and the meiotic arrest is released by fertilization. However, it remains unclear how release from the meiotic arrest is implicated in the start of the embryonic cell cycle. To elucidate this li...