Bioscientifica Proceedings

The formation of primordial follicles to establish a reservoir of resting follicles and the gradual depletion of that reservoir to provide a succession of growing follicles are key to female fertility, but little is known about the regulation of these early stages of follicular development. This review summarizes the efforts of our laboratory to elucidate these critical processes in cattle. Primordial follicles first appear in fetal ovaries around the end of the first trimeste...

In the mammalian ovary there is considerable and continuous remodelling of tissue during both fetal and adult life, necessitating changes in extracellular matrix. Matrix is a diverse group of molecules varying in its composition and roles, which include regulation of growth factor activity and cell behaviour. Here we discuss four topical aspects of matrices in ovaries. (1) Our current state of knowledge of latent TGFß binding proteins that can bind the extracellular matri...

Reduced reproductive efficiency has been reported in high-producing dairy cows. Sources of reproductive inefficiency include decreased expression of estrus, increased diameter of the ovulatory follicle and reduced fertility when cows are inseminated after estrus, increased incidence of double ovulation and twinning, and increased pregnancy loss. To overcome some of these inefficiencies, reproductive management programs have been developed that synchronize ovulation and enable ...