哺乳动物卵泡卵母细胞发生的分子调控

哺乳动物卵泡卵母细胞发生的研究一直是发育生物学研究的重点之一。简要叙述了哺乳动物卵泡卵母细胞发生的一般过程,重点分析了原始生殖细胞向卵母细胞分化过程中gdf9、c-kti、BMP4及TGF家族关键基因的表达调控对卵母细胞发生的影响,以及卵母细胞与颗粒细胞间的相互调节作用,介绍了卵母细胞体外发生的最新研究进展及面临的难题等,为进一步研究原始生殖细胞向卵母细胞分化以及卵泡生长发育的机制提供了理论基础。     

Mouse Offspring Derived from Fetal Ovaries or Reaggregates Which were Cultured and Transplanted into Adult Females

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) and gonia could be promising novel targets and vehicles for manipulation of the mammalian germ line. To make such manipulation a practical possibility, PGCs or gonia must be allowed to produce gametes and offspring after they were isolated from embryos and manipulated in culture. As the first step to develop such research strategy, we obtained offspring from mouse oogonia which were isolated from embryonic ovaries and cultured as dispersed cells before transplantation into female mice as reaggregates.     

原始卵泡形成与早期卵泡发育的遗传调控

原始卵泡形成与早期发育调控对卵母细胞发育来说非常重要,通过对原始卵泡的体外培养,可以了解原始卵泡发育的调节机制.原始卵泡向初级卵泡的转变不依赖于促性腺激素,而主要受卵巢旁分泌因子的调控,包括Kit/KL、GDF9等促进因子和AMH等抑制因子的调控.目前,原始卵泡发育的分子调控机理研究多以小鼠为模型,而对大型哺乳动物和人的研究甚少.概述了哺乳动物原始卵泡形成与发育启动调控机制的既有研究成果,详细阐述了原始卵泡发育过程中关键分子的调控作用,并介绍了小鼠及其他哺乳动物卵泡体外培养的研究进展.     

Developmental and ultrastructual characteristics of mouse oocytes grown <Emphasis Type="Italic">in Vitro</Emphasis> from primordial germ cells

The aim of this study was to clarify the developmental and ultrastructual characteristics of oocytes grown in vitro from primordial germ cells. The female genital ridges at 12.5 days post coitus were cultured for 18 days on an insert membrane in Waymouth's MB752/1 medium, supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum and 1 mM sodium pyruvate; subsequently, the follicles isolated from the tissue were cultured for eight days in Waymouth's medium supplemented with 5 microg/ml insulin, 5 microg/ml transferrin, 5 ng/ml selenium, 10 mIU/ml follicle stimulating hormone, and 100 ng/ml stem cell factor. The primordial germ cells developed in vitro into oocytes of more than 60 microm in diameter. The transmission electron microscopic analysis indicated that the oocytes, which developed in vitro, showed no obvious abnormality in their ultrastructure and had organelles appropriate for the oocyte size. However, a delay in the progressive changes of morphology in some of the organelles during oocyte growth was often found when comparing them to oocytes grown in vivo.     

昆虫卵子发生过程中细胞凋亡的研究进展

细胞凋亡是动物发育过程中的基本生命现象,是多细胞生物体一种重要的自我稳定机制。除体细胞发生凋亡外,生殖细胞在其发生过程中也有细胞凋亡。对近10年来昆虫卵子发生过程中细胞凋亡的研究作了综述。重点关注昆虫卵子发生过程中细胞凋亡发生的阶段、凋亡的形态特征、凋亡的调控及意义等,以期为相关研究提供基础资料。     

Serious doubts over “Eggs forever?”

A recent commentary in this journal by Byskov et al. (2005) claims that, despite published results from numerous independent lines of investigation from our laboratory and others, there does not "exist any evidence for neo-folliculogenesis in the adult mammalian ovary." While we agree with Byskov et al. that our work represents a radical departure from the age-old dogma that mammalian females permanently lose the capacity for oocyte and follicle production during the perinatal period, careful examination of all of the available data leaves no doubt that adult female mammals retain the capacity for oogenesis and folliculogenesis. These findings do not change the fact that exhaustion of the oocyte pool occurs with advancing chronological age--a process responsible for driving the menopause in women--but rather question the basic mechanism underlying age-related ovarian failure. In this regard, studies of aging male mice have demonstrated that testicular atrophy is associated with a dramatic decline in the number, activity and quality of germline stem cells that maintain spermatogenesis during adulthood (Zhang et al., 2006). Therefore, to the contrary of the opinion of Byskov et al. that such a process would be "considered exceptional among stem cells," it is certainly reasonable to hypothesize that a similar deterioration of female germline stem cell function underlies the decline in oocyte quality and the onset of ovarian failure in aging females. Further, while we accept that a departure from conventional thinking can take years to gain widespread acceptance, we feel this resistance to change should not be construed as the sole means to voice opinions about the validity of our data or the maturity of our principal conclusion.     

哺乳动物卵巢中生殖干细胞的研究历史与进展

对于出生后的哺乳动物卵巢中是否存在生殖干细胞以维持卵泡的更新一直争议不断,现就该领域的研究历史及最新进展进行综述.     

Ultrastructure and function of follicle cell in the ovary of Branchiostoma belcheri

The ultrastructure of follicle cells in the ovary at different developmental stages of Branchiostoma has been observed in detail with a transmission electron microscope. The results indicate that only one kind of follicle cell exists with structural features related to steroid hormone biosynthesis: (i) oval or round mitochondria with tubules; (ii) smooth surfaced endoplasmic reticulum; (iii) several large lipid droplets in the cytoplasm; (iv) a well de-veloped Golgi complex and tubular rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, as can be found in mammalian theca interna cells. In addition, as steroid hormone synthesizing cells, they obviously play an important role in the phagocytosis of relict gametes and cellular debris and may have a nutritive function for the oocytes. They can produce abundant secre-tory granules in stages III-IV ovaries. In mature ovaries they transform into flat epithelial cells with numerous micro-filaments which may play a role in ovulation.