Investigation of hypoxia networks in ovarian cancer via bioinformatics analysis.

Background: Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of the death from gynecologic malignancies. Hypoxia is closely related to the malignant growth of cells. However, the molecular mechanism of hypoxia-regulated ovarian cancer cells remains unclear.

Reproductive role of miRNA in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis plays a critical role in regulating reproductive function. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is secreted by the hypothalamus, acts on pituitary gonadotrophs to stimulate luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) synthesis and secretion, ultimately affecting the animal's fertility. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that are widely expressed throughout the brain and can fine-tune gene expression post-transcriptionally.

The potential regulatory mechanisms of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone in gonadotropin transcriptions identified with bioinformatics analyses.

Background: The regulation of gonadotropin synthesis and release by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) plays an essential role in the neuroendocrine control of reproduction. However, the mechanisms underlying gonadotropin regulation by GnRH pulse frequency and amplitude are still ambiguous. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms and biological pathways associated with gonadotropin synthesis by GnRH pulse frequencies and amplitudes.

MicroRNA Mediating Networks in Granulosa Cells Associated with Ovarian Follicular Development.

Ovaries, which provide a place for follicular development and oocyte maturation, are important organs in female mammals. Follicular development is complicated physiological progress mediated by various regulatory factors including microRNAs (miRNAs). To demonstrate the role of miRNAs in follicular development, this study analyzed the expression patterns of miRNAs in granulosa cells through investigating three previous datasets generated by Illumina miRNA deep sequencing.

Application of epigenetic markers in molecular breeding of the swine.

Livestock phenotypes are determined by the interaction of a variety of factors, including the genome, the epigenome and the environment. Epigenetics refers to gene expression changes without DNA sequence alterations. Epigenetic markers mainly include DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNAs, and imprinting genes.

[A mechanistic review of how hypoxic mircroenvironment regulates mammalian ovulation].

Mammalian ovulation is a complicated process that includes development of follicles, ovulation, formation of corpus luteum and luteolysis. The three different stages of the ovulation activity are affected by hypoxic microenvironment and hypoxia-induced factors (HIF), which play a crucial role in physiologyical processes, such as angiogenesis and inflammation. Although the process of ovulation has been well elucidated, the molecular mechanism regulated by hypoxia needs an in depth study.

[The mechanism of miRNA-mediated PGR signaling pathway in regulating female reproduction].

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in several physiological processes as important post-transcriptional regulators. Progesterone (P4), an important steroid hormone, produces physiological effect through binding specific receptor progesterone receptors (PGR) which regulates functions of both reproductive and non-reproductive tissues as a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. P4/PGR and miRNAs could regulate female reproduction independently, however, it is still unclear how miRNAs and P4/PGR interaction regulates female reproductive activities such as ovulation in female reproduction.