Special Issue "New Insights into Mammalian Fertilization"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2022.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Soriano-Úbeda Cristina
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
Interests: reproduction; in vitro fertilization; embryo development; in vitro embryo culture; gametes; spermatozoa; oocyte; ovary; estrous; reproductive biofluids; oocyte activation; calcium homeostasis; capacitation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) have helped to expand our understanding of the many physico-chemical events surrounding reproductive physiology in animals, with specifically remarkable increases in data for mammals and profound implications for human beings. Fertilization is a complex biological process in which innumerable factors are directly and/or indirectly involved. A significant number of investigations around the world are currently deepening the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the fertilization process in mammals. The latest achievements in research have allowed for a widening of the perspective for the physiology of reproduction, improvements of the current ART techniques, and the development of new ones for both animal production and infertility treatment in humans. In the last few decades, it has been demonstrated that knowledge of reproductive physiology is the basis for gaining significant progress in both basic science and the technology of reproduction. This Special Issue is focused on fertilization and its possible implications for ARTs in mammals. The content compiles research papers and reviews selected to share the latest scientific advances in these techniques.

Dr. Soriano-Úbeda Cristina
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fertilization
  • spermatozoa
  • oocyte
  • embryo
  • oviduct
  • fusion
  • activation
  • capacitation
  • mammals

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Article
In Vitro Maturation of Cumulus–Oocyte Complexes and In Vitro Sperm Capacitation Significantly Increase the Expression and Enhance the Location of the CXCL12 and CXCR4 Anchoring Attractant Complex in Pigs
Animals 2021, 11(1), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010153 - 11 Jan 2021
Viewed by 525
Abstract
Successful internal fertilization in mammals depends on several mechanisms, including those triggering the so-called “sperm attraction” towards the oocyte, which include some oocyte-derived sperm chemoattractants and interactive protein complexes, such as the cytokine C-X-C motif chemokine 12/C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCL12-CXCR4) receptor [...] Read more.
Successful internal fertilization in mammals depends on several mechanisms, including those triggering the so-called “sperm attraction” towards the oocyte, which include some oocyte-derived sperm chemoattractants and interactive protein complexes, such as the cytokine C-X-C motif chemokine 12/C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCL12-CXCR4) receptor complex. The presence and precise localization of these crucial proteins was determined hereby, for the first time, in porcine cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) and spermatozoa. CXCL12 was overexpressed in the cumulus cells of in vitro matured, compared to immature COCs (p < 0.05), with its receptor (CXCR4) being up-regulated in capacitated spermatozoa (p < 0.03) compared to uncapacitated spermatozoa. The CXCR4 appeared specifically localized in the sperm tail of non-capacitated spermatozoa and also in the sperm head of capacitated spermatozoa, suggesting that the CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling complex would play a pivotal role in attracting capacitated spermatozoa towards the oocyte, facilitating fertilization in pigs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Mammalian Fertilization)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop