A filtration medium replacement method that increases the efficiency of immunofluorescence staining of oocytes.

Immunofluorescence staining is used to investigate proteins and protein interactions in oocytes. In typical protocols, the medium that suspends the oocytes requires replacement more than ten times during the staining procedure; this is time-consuming, technically challenging and not amenable to automation. We developed a filtration method using negative pressure to replace manual replacement of medium.

[Molecular Mechanism of Aurora Kinase A Regulating the Meiosis of Oocyte].

Aurora kinase A (AURKA),a family member of aurora kinases,is involved in mitotic entry,maturation and separation of centrosome,assembly and stabilization of bipolar spindle,and condensation and separation of chromosome.Studies have demonstrated that AURKA plays a similar role in meiosis,while the specific mechanism and the similarities and differences in its role between meiosis and mitosis remain unclear.Therefore,we reviewed the studies about the localization and activation of AURKA in oocyte meiosis,and compared the role of AURKA in regulating spindle formation,activating spindle assembly checkpoint,and correcting the kinetochore-microtubule attachment between the meiosis of oocytes and the mitosis of somatic cells.

Two Foxo1 homologues in the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides: sequences, expression, and possible involvement in the activation of cyp19a1a expression in the ovary.

Foxo1, a member of Foxo transcription factor family, is involved in a number of physiological processes including metabolism, cell cycle progression, aging, and apoptosis. In the ovarian granulosa cell of mouse, Foxo1 is implicated to inhibit the expression of Cyp19a1, a gene encoding the aromatase that converts androgens into estrogens. Currently, the information about the expression and physiological relevance of Foxo1 homologues in the ovary of teleosts is scarce.

Altered m A modification is involved in up-regulated expression of FOXO3 in luteinized granulosa cells of non-obese polycystic ovary syndrome patients.

The pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by granulosa cell (GC) dysfunction. m A modification affects GC function in patients with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), but the role of m A modification in PCOS is unknown. The purpose of the prospective comparative study was to analyse the m A profile of the luteinized GCs from normovulatory women and non-obese PCOS patients following controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

Antioxidant activity of Coridius chinensis extracts on manganese-induced testicular damage in rats.

Coridius chinensis (C. chinensis) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used to treat pain, erectile dysfunction, and other diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that manganese-induced reproductive damage was partially rescued by a medium dose of C.

The mitochondrial genome of (Insecta: : Pyralidae).

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the tobacco moth was sequenced and analyzed. The mitochondrial genome is 15345 bp long and contains 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and one control region. Twenty-three genes were found to be encoded by the majority strand and the other 14 genes by minority strand, those is similar to that of other insects.

The mitochondrial genome of (Coleoptera, Anobiidae).

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the was sequenced and analysed. The mitochondrial genome is 14,476 bp long and contains 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and two non-coding region. Twenty three genes were found to be encoded by the majority strand and the other 14 genes by minority strand, those similar to that of other insects.

Foxo3b but not Foxo3a activates cyp19a1a in Epinephelus coioides.

FOXO3 has been shown to be a critical transcription factor for folliculogenesis in mammals, while the information on its roles in reproduction of nonmammalian vertebrates remains scarce. In this study, two foxo3 homologs, namely foxo3a and foxo3b, were identified in a teleost, the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides. foxo3a was mainly expressed in the central nervous system, ovary, and gut whereas foxo3b was expressed ubiquitously in tissues examined.

Cytoplasmic localization of Lrh-1 down-regulates ovarian follicular cyp19a1a expression in a teleost, the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides.

Liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) is a conserved member of the NR5A subfamily in vertebrates and a potential regulator of estrogen synthesis in the ovarian granulosa cells. An Lrh-1 homologue was obtained from the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides that contains the conserved structural features of NR5A and is phylogenetically closely related to NR5A2. The expression of the orange-spotted grouper Lrh-1 is tissue-specific with relatively higher levels in the liver and ovary.

Homologues of sox8 and sox10 in the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides: sequences, expression patterns, and their effects on cyp19a1a promoter activities in vitro.

Sox8 and Sox10 are members of group E Sox proteins involved in a wide range of developmental processes including sex determination and neurogenesis in vertebrates. The orange-spotted grouper sox8a and sox10a homologues were isolated and characterized in the present study. Both sox8a and sox10a genes contain three exons and two introns, and encode putative proteins with typical structures of group E Sox.

Isolation and characterization of cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b promoters in the protogynous hermaphrodite orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides).

Aromatase (CYP19A1) catalyzes the conversion of androgens to estrogens. In teleosts, duplicated copies of cyp19a1 genes, namely cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b, were identified, however, the transcriptional regulation of these two genes remains poorly understood. In the present study, the 5'-flanking regions of the orange-spotted grouper cyp19a1a (gcyp19a1a) and cyp19a1b (gcyp19a1b) genes were isolated and characterized.

Two catalase homologs are involved in host protection against bacterial infection and oxidative stress in Crassostrea hongkongensis.

Catalase is one of the key antioxidant enzymes and it appears to be involved in protection against immune infection and oxidative stress. Here, two catalase cDNAs (ChCat-1 and ChCat-2) were isolated from hemocytes of Crassostrea hongkongensis using SSH and RACE. The full-length cDNAs of ChCat-1 and ChCat-2 are 1913 and 2466 bp in length, encoding proteins of 515 and 511 amino acids, respectively.