Protein phosphatase 4 maintains the survival of primordial follicles by regulating autophagy in oocytes.

In mammalian ovary, the primordial follicle pool serves as the source of developing follicles and fertilizable ova. To maintain the normal length of female reproductive life, the primordial follicles must have adequate number and be kept in a quiescent state before menopause. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying primordial follicle survival are poorly understood.

Fangchinoline inhibits mouse oocyte meiosis by disturbing MPF activity.

Fangchinoline (FA) is an alkaloid derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Fangji. Numerous studies have shown that FA has a toxic effect on various cancer cells, but little is known about its toxic effects on germ cells, especially oocytes. In this study, we investigated the effects of FA on mouse oocyte maturation and its potential mechanisms.

Loss of UBE2S causes meiosis I arrest with normal spindle assembly checkpoint dynamics in mouse oocytes.

The timely degradation of proteins that regulate the cell cycle is essential for oocyte maturation. Oocytes are equipped to degrade proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In meiosis, anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), an E3 ubiquitin-ligase, is responsible for the degradation of proteins.

SRSF2 is required for mRNA splicing during spermatogenesis.

Background: RNA splicing plays significant roles in fundamental biological activities. However, our knowledge about the roles of alternative splicing and underlying mechanisms during spermatogenesis is limited.

Results: Here, we report that Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 2 (SRSF2), also known as SC35, plays critical roles in alternative splicing and male reproduction.

NLRP14 Safeguards Calcium Homeostasis via Regulating the K27 Ubiquitination of Nclx in Oocyte-to-Embryo Transition.

Sperm-induced Ca rise is critical for driving oocyte activation and subsequent embryonic development, but little is known about how lasting Ca oscillations are regulated. Here it is shown that NLRP14, a maternal effect factor, is essential for keeping Ca oscillations and early embryonic development. Few embryos lacking maternal NLRP14 can develop beyond the 2-cell stage.

Insights into the adverse effects of prepubertal chronic ethanol exposure on adult female reproduction.

Heavy drinking in women is known to adversely affect pregnancy and fertility. However, pregnancy is a complex process, and the adverse effects of ethanol on pregnancy does not mean that ethanol will have adverse effects on all stages from gamete to fetal formation. Similarly, the adverse effects of ethanol before and after adolescence cannot be generalized.

SRSF10 is essential for progenitor spermatogonia expansion by regulating alternative splicing.

Alternative splicing expands the transcriptome and proteome complexity and plays essential roles in tissue development and human diseases. However, how alternative splicing regulates spermatogenesis remains largely unknown. Here, using a germ cell-specific knockout mouse model, we demonstrated that the splicing factor is essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility.

MAPRE2 regulates the first meiotic progression in mouse oocytes.

Microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) associate with growing microtubule plus ends and control microtubule dynamics and interactions with different cellular structures during cell division, cell migration and morphogenesis. Microtubule-associated RP/EB family member 2 (MAPRE2/EB2) is a highly conserved core component of +TIPs networks, but whether this molecule is required for mammalian meiotic progression is unknown. In this study, we investigated the expression and function of MAPRE2 during oocyte maturation.

Perinatal outcomes of singleton live births after preimplantation genetic testing during single frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer cycles: a propensity score-matched study.

Objective: To determine whether singleton pregnancy achieved after preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is associated with a higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes than in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) singleton pregnancy.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A university-affiliated fertility center.

Specific deletion of protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit in Sertoli cells leads to disruption of spermatogenesis.

Protein phosphatase 6 (PP6) is a member of the PP2A-like subfamily, which plays significant roles in numerous fundamental biological activities. We found that PPP6C plays important roles in male germ cells recently. Spermatogenesis is supported by the Sertoli cells in the seminiferous epithelium.

FBXO34 Regulates the G2/M Transition and Anaphase Entry in Meiotic Oocytes.

There are two important events in oocyte meiotic maturation, the G2/M transition and metaphase I progression. Thousands of proteins participate in regulating oocyte maturation, which highlights the importance of the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) in regulating protein synthesis and degradation. Skp1-Cullin-F-box (SCF) complexes, as the best characterized ubiquitin E3 ligases in the UPS, specifically recognize their substrates.

The methylation status in GNAS clusters May Be an epigenetic marker for oocyte quality.

During follicle growth, DNA methylation is gradually established, which is important for oocyte developmental competence. Due to the facts that oocytes from prepubertal individuals show reduced developmental outcomes when compared to those from sexually mature individuals, and the fact that oocytes derived from in vitro follicle culture have much lower developmental competence, it is worth exploring whether prepubertal superovulation and in vitro follicle culture will cause changes in DNA methylation imprinting status in oocytes. In this study, we found that the CpG island in maternally imprinted GNAS clusters was hypermethylated in the MII-stage oocytes from sexually mature mice, but was hypomethylated in oocytes from prepuberty individuals.

SCTR hypermethylation is a diagnostic biomarker in colorectal cancer.

Diagnostic markers for both colorectal cancer (CRC) and its precursor lesions are lacking. Although aberrant methylation of the secretin receptor (SCTR) gene was observed in CRC, the diagnostic performance has not been evaluated. Therefore, this study aimed to assess and verify the diagnostic value of SCTR methylation of CRC and its precursor lesions through integrating the largest methylation data.