Infertility affects~ 7% of couples of reproductive age with little change in incidence in the last
two decades. ART, as well as other interventions, have made major strides in correcting this …

Oogenesis is a complex process regulated by a vast number of intra-and extra-ovarian
factors. Oogonia, which originate from primordial germ cells, proliferate by mitosis and form …

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a major cause of female infertility due to early loss of
ovarian function. POI is a heterogeneous condition, and its molecular etiology is unclear. To …

In mammals, maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT), or oocyte-to-embryo transition, begins with
oocyte meiotic resumption due to the sequential translational activation and destabilization …

Steady progress in contraception research has been achieved over the past 50 years.
Hormonal and nonhormonal modern contraceptives have improved women's lives by …

Zar1 was one of the earliest mammalian maternal-effect genes to be identified. Embryos
derived from Zar1-null female mice are blocked before zygotic genome activation; however …

We have cloned the bovine homologue of Mater (maternal antigen that embryos require)
cDNA, potentially the first germ cell-specific maternal-effect gene in this species. The 3297 …

CTCF is a highly conserved, multifunctional zinc finger protein involved in critical aspects of
gene regulation including transcription regulation, chromatin insulation, genomic imprinting …

BACKGROUND During meiosis, mammalian oocytes undergo two successive cell divisions
without an intermediate replicative phase. This brief period, called 'meiotic maturation', is …

Ovarian development is a complex process controlled by precise coordination of multiple
factors. The targeted gene knockout technique is a powerful tool to study the functions of …