Effects of fibroblast growth factors and the transcription factor, early growth response 1, on bovine theca cells

The evolution of ovarian somatic cells characterized by transcriptome and chromatin accessibility across rodents, monkeys, and humans

The ovary plays a crucial role in the reproductive system of female mammals by producing mature oocytes through folliculogenesis. Non-human model organisms are extensively utilized in research on human ovarian biology, thus necessitating the investigation of conservation and divergence in molecular mechanisms across species. In this study, we employed integrative single-cell analysis of transcriptome and chromatin accessibility to identify the evolutionary conservation and divergence patterns of ovaries among humans, monkeys, mice, rats, and rabbits. Our analyses revealed that theca cells exhibited the most significant changes during evolution based on scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq datasets. Furthermore, we discovered common cis-regulatory architectures in theca cells across species by conducting joint analyses of scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq datasets. These findings have potential applications in non-human biomedical and genetic research to validate molecular mechanisms found in human organisms. Additionally, our investigation into non-coding genomic regions identified intergenic highly transcribed regions (igHTRs) that may contribute to the evolution of species-specific phenotypic traits. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into understanding the molecular characteristics of adult ovaries while offering new perspectives for studying human ovarian physiology and diseases.

Endothelial cell-derived fibroblast growth factor-18 regulates ovarian function in sheep

Increasing the efficiency of farm animal reproduction is necessary to reduce the environmental impact of food production systems. One approach is to increase the number of healthy eggs (oocytes) produced per female for fertilization, thus it is important to understand factors that decrease oocyte health. One paracrine factor that decreases ovarian follicle growth is fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) secreted by cells in the theca layer of the ovarian follicle, however the factors that regulate FGF18 secretion are unknown. In this study we hypothesized that FGF18 secretion is controled by intrafollicular factors and is linked to fertility, which we tested by using cell culture and sheep genetic models in vivo. Separation of theca cell populations revealed that FGF18 messenger RNA (mRNA) is located mainly in thecal endothelial rather than endocrine cells, and immunohistochemistry localized FGF18 protein to microvessels in the theca layer in situ. Culture of ovine theca-derived endothelial cells was used to demonstrate stimulation of FGF18 mRNA and protein abundance by bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), a growth factor derived from theca endocrine cells. Taking advantage of a sheep genetic model, we demonstrate reduced ovarian and peripheral FGF18 concentrations in the hyperprolific Booroola ewe harboring the FecB^B mutation in BMPR1B. These data suggest a novel control of fertility by follicular endothelial cells, in which theca endocrine cells secrete BMP4 that stimulates the secretion of FGF18 from thecal endothelial cells, which in turn diffuses into the granulosa cell layer and promotes apoptosis.

The ovarian follicle of ruminants: the path from conceptus to adult

This review resulted from an international workshop and presents a consensus view of critical advances over the past decade in our understanding of follicle function in ruminants. The major concepts covered include: (1) the value of major genes; (2) the dynamics of fetal ovarian development and its sensitivity to nutritional and environmental influences; (3) the concept of an ovarian follicle reserve, aligned with the rise of anti-Müllerian hormone as a controller of ovarian processes; (4) renewed recognition of the diverse and important roles of theca cells; (5) the importance of follicular fluid as a microenvironment that determines oocyte quality; (6) the 'adipokinome' as a key concept linking metabolic inputs with follicle development; and (7) the contribution of follicle development to the success of conception. These concepts are important because, in sheep and cattle, ovulation rate is tightly regulated and, as the primary determinant of litter size, it is a major component of reproductive efficiency and therefore productivity. Nowadays, reproductive efficiency is also a target for improving the 'methane efficiency' of livestock enterprises, increasing the need to understand the processes of ovarian development and folliculogenesis, while avoiding detrimental trade-offs as greater performance is sought.

Comparative Transcriptome Profiling of Ovary Tissue between Black Muscovy Duck and White Muscovy Duck with High- and Low-Egg Production

The egg-laying rate is an important indicator for evaluating fertility of poultry. In order to better understand the laying mechanism of Muscovy ducks, gene expression profiles and pathways of ovarian tissues in high- and low-laying black (BH and BL) and white Muscovy ducks (WH and WL) during the peak production period were performed by using RNA-seq. The total number of reads produced for each ovarian sample ranged from 44,344,070 to 47,963,328. A total of 113, 619 and 87 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in BH-vs-WH, BL-vs-BH and BL-vs-WL, respectively. Among them, 54, 356 and 49 genes were up regulated and 59, 263 and 38 genes were down regulated. In addition, there were only 10 up-regulated genes in WL-vs-WH. In the comparison of DEGs in black and white Muscovy ducks, two co-expressed DEG genes were detected between BH-vs-WH and BL-vs-WL and seven DEGs were co-expressed between BL-vs-BH and WL-vs-WH. The RNA-Seq data were confirmed to be reliable by qPCR. Numerous DEGs known to be involved in ovarian development were identified, including TGFβ2, NGFR, CEBPD, CPEB2, POSTN, SMOC1, FGF18, EFNA5 and SDC4. Gene Ontology (GO) annotations indicated that DEGs related to ovarian development were mainly enriched in biological processes of "circadian sleep/wake cycle process," "negative regulation of transforming growth factor-β secretion," "positive regulation of calcium ion transport" in BH-vs-WH and "cell surface receptor signaling pathway," "Notch signaling pathway" and "calcium ion transport" in BL-vs-BH. Besides, "steroid biosynthetic process," "granulosa cell development" and "egg coat formation" were mainly enriched in BL-vs-WL and "reproduction," "MAPK cascade" and "mitotic cell cycle" were mainly enriched in WL-vs-WH. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and ovarian steroidogenesis were the most enriched in Muscovy duck ovary transcriptome data. This work highlights potential genes and pathways that may affect ovarian development in Muscovy duck.