Bioscientifica Proceedings

Summary. Knowledge about early embryogenesis and the role of the oviduct has gained renewed interest due to increasing awareness of the impact of animal health status and performance on the susceptibility and vulnerability of early developing embryos within their microenvironment. The significance of the oviduct is best illustrated when a glance is cast at structural as well as functional features of the oviduct which regulate the serially orchestrated and wel...

Summary. Low fertility is one of the major problems limiting the efficiency of the dairy industry. Successful pregnancy establishment and development to term depend on the suitability of the endometrial environment and the intrinsic quality of the embryo. Accurate assessment of both, however, is challenging. Therefore, the present survey reviews current knowledge of the molecular networks in the endometrium related to pregnancy establishment and maintenance to...

Summary. Early embryo mortality during the first two weeks of development is an important factor in the decreasing fertility of dairy cattle. During this period the embryo needs to correctly establish the first three lineages, namely epiblast, hypoblast and trophoblast so as to survive. The morphological and molecular events underlying these lineage decisions are discussed, drawing on information derived predominantly from mice and cattle.<p class="abstext...