Post-implantation analysis of genomic variations in the progeny from developing fetus to birth.

The analysis of genomic variations in offspring after implantation has been infrequently studied. In this study, we aim to investigate the extent of de novo mutations in humans from developing fetus to birth. Using high-depth whole-genome sequencing, 443 parent-offspring trios were studied to compare the results of de novo mutations (DNMs) between different groups.

ALKBH5 controls the meiosis-coupled mRNA clearance in oocytes by removing the N -methyladenosine methylation.

N-methyladenosine (mA) maintains maternal RNA stability in oocytes. One regulator of mA, ALKBH5, reverses mA deposition and is essential in RNA metabolism. However, the specific role of ALKBH5 in oocyte maturation remains elusive.

Treatment effects of laparoscopy versus laparotomy on heterotopic pregnancy after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.

Objective: To compare the treatment effects of laparoscopy versus laparotomy on heterotopic pregnancy (HP) after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

Methods: The retrospective case-control study enrolled 109 patients diagnosed with HP after IVF-ET treatment in our hospital from January 2009 to March 2020. All patients received surgical treatment by either laparoscopy or laparotomy.

Serum steroid metabolome on the day of oocyte retrieval in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome and its association with pregnancy outcome of in vitro fertilization.

Steroid hormone level is a crucial factor affecting the outcomes of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum steroid metabolome on the day of oocyte retrieval in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and explore whether specific steroids can be potential indicators to improve the prediction of pregnancy outcomes in PCOS patients undergoing IVF/ICSI. In this study, the serum levels of 21 steroids in 89 women with PCOS and 73 control women without PCOS on the day of oocyte retrieval of the first IVF/ICSI treatment cycle were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Environmentally relevant levels of bisphenol A affect uterine decidualization and embryo implantation through the estrogen receptor/serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1/epithelial sodium ion channel α-subunit pathway in a mouse model.

Objective: To investigate whether bisphenol A (BPA) exposure is associated with uterine decidualization and embryo implantation failure in mice.

Design: Experimental animal study and in vitro study.

Setting: University-based infertility center.

Altered methylations of H19, Snrpn, Mest and Peg3 are reversible by developmental reprogramming in kidney tissue of ICSI-derived mice.

Although the prevalence of Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has increased year by year, there remains concern about the safety of these procedures because of reports of the increased risk for imprinting disorders. Previous research has demonstrated that gonadotropin stimulation contributes to an increased incidence of epimutations in ICSI-derived mice. However, the epimutations in ICSI offspring after removing the effect of gonadotropin stimulation and the possibility that epimutations are reversible by developmental reprogramming has not been investigated.

Involvement of serum glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 in reproductive success.

Reproductive processes, in particular events that concern pregnancy, are fine-tuned to produce offspring. Reproductive success is of prime importance for the survival of every species. The highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed serum glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) was first implicated in infertility as a regulator of a Na channel.

Behaviour of cytoplasmic organelles and cytoskeleton during oocyte maturation.

Assisted reproduction technology (ART) has become an attractive option for infertility treatment and holds tremendous promise. However, at present, there is still room for improvement in its success rates. Oocyte maturation is a process by which the oocyte becomes competent for fertilization and subsequent embryo development.

AMPK phosphorylates GBF1 for mitotic Golgi disassembly.

In mammalian cells, the Golgi apparatus undergoes extensive fragmentation during mitosis; this is required not only for the partitioning of the complex but also for the process of mitosis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the mitotic fragmentation of the Golgi is far from clear. Here, we show that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is phosphorylated and activated when cells enter mitosis.