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Fountas S, Petinaki E, Bolaris S, Kargakou M, Dafopoulos S, Zikopoulos A, Moustakli E, Sotiriou S, Dafopoulos K. The Roles of GDF-9, BMP-15, BMP-4 and EMMPRIN in Folliculogenesis and In Vitro Fertilization. J Clin Med 2024; 13:3775. [PMID: 38999341 PMCID: PMC11242125 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13133775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF-9) contributes to early ovarian development and oocyte survival. Higher concentrations of GDF-9 in follicular fluid (FF) are associated with oocyte nuclear maturation and optimal embryo development. In in vitro fertilization (IVF), GDF-9 affects the ability of the oocyte to fertilize and subsequent embryonic development. Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP-15) is involved in the regulation of ovarian function and affects oocyte development. During IVF, BMP-15 contributes to the formation of competent blastocysts. BMP-15 may play a role in embryo implantation by affecting endometrial receptivity. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4) is involved in the regulation of follicle growth and development and affects granulosa cell (GC) differentiation. In relation to IVF, BMP-4 is important for embryonic development, influences cell fate and differentiation, and plays a role in facilitating embryo-endometrial interactions during the implantation process. Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) is associated with ovulation and follicle rupture, promotes the release of mature eggs, and affects the modification of the extracellular matrix of the follicular environment. In IVF, EMMPRIN is involved in embryo implantation by modulating the adhesive properties of endometrial cells and promotes trophoblastic invasion, which is essential for pregnancy to occur. The purpose of the current article is to review the studies and recent findings of GDF-9, BMP-15, BMP-4 and EMMPRIN as fundamental factors in normal follicular development and in vitro fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serafeim Fountas
- Fertility and Sterility Unit, Elena Venizelou General-Maternity District Hospital, 11521 Athens, Greece
| | - Efthymia Petinaki
- Department of Microbiology, University Hospital of Larissa, 41110 Larissa, Greece
| | - Stamatis Bolaris
- Fertility and Sterility Unit, Elena Venizelou General-Maternity District Hospital, 11521 Athens, Greece
| | - Magdalini Kargakou
- Fertility and Sterility Unit, Elena Venizelou General-Maternity District Hospital, 11521 Athens, Greece
| | - Stefanos Dafopoulos
- Department of Health Sciences, European University Cyprus, 2404 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Efthalia Moustakli
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Sotirios Sotiriou
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Dafopoulos
- ART Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece
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Virant-Klun I, Strle F. Human Oocytes Express Both ACE2 and BSG Genes and Corresponding Proteins: Is SARS-CoV-2 Infection Possible? Stem Cell Rev Rep 2021; 17:278-284. [PMID: 33403489 PMCID: PMC7785127 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-020-10101-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In addition to a number of scientific and medical questions about SARS-CoV-2 infection that still need to be answered, there is also the question of how this highly virulent virus and COVID-19 disease affect gametogenesis in humans. Even more important is the question of whether the virus can also enter and infect oocytes and possibly alter them in an unknown way, which could also affect the development and status of the human embryo. The answers to these questions are still poorly known, so we reviewed the human oocyte transcriptome and proteome obtained in our previous studies and found that human oocytes from the in vitro fertilization program expressed both the ACE2 and BSG genes and the corresponding ACE2 and BSG proteins. This means that human oocytes possess the molecular ‘machinery’ to facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entrance and infection. According to various studies, especially in animal models, different viruses can infect oocytes, so infection of the oocyte with SARS-Cov-2 cannot be completely ruled out. A hypothetical model of human oocyte infection with this virus has been proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irma Virant-Klun
- Clinical Research Center, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 1, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Franc Strle
- Clinical Research Center, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 1, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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