BACKGROUND In a growth phase occurring during most of folliculogenesis, the oocyte
produces and accumulates molecules and organelles that are fundamental for the …

Fluorescent compounds based on synthetic small molecules are powerful tools to visualize
biological events in living cells and organisms. Ever since the discovery of organic …

The capacity of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to permit almost any type of
spermatozoa to fertilize oocytes has made it the most successful treatment for male factor …

BACKGROUND Infertility affects between 10 and 16% of couples worldwide. Twenty to 30%
of cases of infertility are due to a male factor, 20–35% to a female factor, and 25–40% are …

BACKGROUND Total fertilization failure (TFF) is the failure of all metaphase II oocytes to
fertilize in ART cycles. The phenomenon represents a known cause of infertility, affecting 1 …

Production of functional eggs requires meiosis to be coordinated with developmental
signals. Oocytes arrest in prophase I to permit oocyte differentiation, and in most animals, a …

Sperm entry in mammalian oocytes triggers intracellular Ca2+ oscillations that initiate
resumption of the meiotic cell cycle and subsequent activations. Here, we show that …

BACKGROUND Oocyte activation deficiency (OAD) is attributed to the majority of cases
underlying failure of ICSI cycles, the standard treatment for male factor infertility. Oocyte …

Infertility affects approximately 15% of reproductive-aged couples worldwide, of which up to
30% of the cases are caused by male factors alone. The origin of male infertility is mostly …

Mammalian fertilization is accompanied by oscillations in egg cytoplasmic calcium (Ca2+)
concentrations that are critical for completion of egg activation. These oscillations are …