Background: The zona pellucida (ZP) of human oocytes plays essential protective roles in sperm-egg interactions during fertilisation and embryo development. -null female rabbits exhibit a thin and irregular ZP, which severely impairs embryo development and fertility. However, the effects of defect on human female reproduction remain unknown.
Methods And Results: We performed whole-exome sequencing in 26 female patients with abnormal (thin and irregular) ZP and identified heterozygous variants in (OMIM: 613514) from 3 patients (approximately 11%). No variant was found in the 30 control women with proven fertility. We constructed mutated plasmids and found that the variants reduced the secretion of ZP4 in vitro. Lower suction pressure facilitated egg retrieval, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was a desirable treatment for mutated patients with abnormal ZP.
Conclusions: We identified as a novel gene for human abnormal ZP and found that lower suction pressure and ICSI are efficient treatment strategies.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jclinpath-2020-207170 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
December 2024
Fertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva, 151, Israel.
It has long been speculated that the mechanical properties of the human oocyte can be an indicator for oocyte viability. Recent studies have demonstrated that embryo implantation rates, following Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) procedures, may be increased if the shear modulus value of the oocyte Zona Pellucida (ZP) is taken into consideration during embryo transfer. The shear modulus was determined by an iterative oocyte specific finite element (FE) analysis based on the clinical ICSI data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCommun Biol
December 2024
The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 1088639, Japan.
One of the major age-related declines in female reproductive function is the reduced quantity and quality of oocytes. Here we demonstrate that structural changes in the zona pellucida (ZP) were associated with decreased fertilization rates from 34- to 38-week-old female mice, equivalent to the mid-reproductive of human females. In middle-aged mouse ovaries, the decline in the number of transzonal projections was accompanied by a decrease in cumulus cell-oocyte interactions, resulting in a deterioration of the oocyte quality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Reprod Dev
December 2024
Department of Integrated Applied Life Science, Integrated Graduate School of Medicine, Engineering, and Agricultural Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-0016, Japan.
Calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum via sperm-derived phospholipase C zeta is crucial for oocyte activation during fertilization. Chloroquine (CQ) inhibits the increase in cytoplasmic calcium. This study investigated the effects of CQ on fertilization and oocyte activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiol Reprod
December 2024
Division of Reproductive Engineering, Center for Animal Resources and Development (CARD), Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan.
The redox state of thiol groups derived from cysteine residues in proteins regulates cellular functions. Changes in the redox state of thiol groups in the epididymis are involved in sperm maturation. Furthermore, the redox state of thiol groups in proteins changes during the process of sperm capacitation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
December 2024
Science and Conservation Center, 2100 South Shiloh Road, Billings, MT 59106, USA.
Wildlife managers and the public have expressed considerable interest in the use of contraception to help manage the populations of wild horses and burros ( and ). Field testing has shown that two preparations of the porcine zona pellucida (PZP) vaccine, a simple emulsion (ZonaStat-H) and PZP-22 (which supplements ZonaStat-H with a controlled-release component) effectively prevent pregnancy in individual mares and can substantially reduce population foaling rates. To determine whether some PZP preparations might have secondary effects that harm treated mares or their foals, we examined the effects of PZP-22 vaccinations and the follow-up boosters of either PZP-22 or ZonaStat-H on adult female body condition, foaling season, and foal mortality in two wild horse herds in the western USA, Cedar Mountains Herd Management Area, Utah (CM; 2008-2015), and Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area, Colorado (SWB; 2008-2014).
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