Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
2.7
3.2
Journals
Life
Special Issues
Mammalian Gametogenesis, Fertilization and Early Embryogenesis
share announcement

Mammalian Gametogenesis, Fertilization and Early Embryogenesis

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 3372

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Guo-Zhang Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA
Interests: mammalian reproduction; epigenetics; cell–cell membrane interaction; genetic mutation; human disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mammals produce their offspring through sexual reproduction. Thus, mammalian reproduction is vital for animal evolution, species existence, population growth, and animal health. This life course includes gametogenesis, fertilization, embryogenesis, and post-delivery care. Mammalian gametogenesis is a highly orchestrated process that generates genetically and epigenetically unique gametes. Mammalian fertilization is the union of a sperm and an egg in a species-specific manner that forms a single-cell embryo called a zygote. The zygote, remarkably, reprograms the gamete-specific genome and epigenome to begin embryogenesis for creating a new organism.

It is well known that aberrant human reproduction can lead to infertility, birth defects, and genetic diseases. Although different mammalian species employ diverse strategies to deliver sperm to the egg, the molecular mechanisms are largely conserved among mammals, including humans. Therefore, basic research in mammalian animal models may advance translational research in human reproductive medicine to improve human well-being.             

The emergence of new technology and tools has recently significantly promoted our understanding of mammalian reproduction at the molecular, cellular, genetic, epigenetic, and genomic levels. It is of great interest to promptly broadcast fascinating discoveries and hypotheses to the scientific community and healthcare professionals. For this Special Issue, we invite scientists and clinicians to contribute original research articles, clinical studies, reviews, and perspectives that underscore novel findings in the areas of spermatogenesis, oogenesis, sperm–egg interaction, and zygotic activation. We envisage that this collection will further basic and translational research in mammalian reproduction.

Prof. Dr. Guo-Zhang Zhu
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 submissions that pass pre-check are 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. Life 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 2600 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

  • mammalian reproduction
  • mammalian gametogenesis
  • mammalian fertilization
  • zygote
  • embryogenesis
  • spermatogenesis
  • oogenesis
  • sperm–egg interaction
  • zygotic activation

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 46186 KiB  
Article
Unraveling the Impact of Dab1 Gene Silencing on the Expression of Autophagy Markers in Lung Development
by Azer Rizikalo, Mirko Maglica, Nela Kelam, Ilija Perutina, Marin Ogorevc, Anita Racetin, Natalija Filipović, Yu Katsuyama, Zdenka Zovko, Josip Mišković and Katarina Vukojević
Life 2024, 14(3), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14030316 - 28 Feb 2024
Viewed by 727
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Dab1 gene silencing on the immunoexpression of light chain 3 beta (Lc3b), glucose regulating protein 78 (Grp78), heat shock cognate 71 (Hsc70), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2A [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Dab1 gene silencing on the immunoexpression of light chain 3 beta (Lc3b), glucose regulating protein 78 (Grp78), heat shock cognate 71 (Hsc70), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2A (Lamp2a) in the lung tissue of developing yotari (Dab1−/−) and wild-type (wt) mice. The lung epithelium and mesenchyme of the embryos at gestational days E13.5 and E15.5 were examined using immunofluorescence and semi-quantitative methods. In the pulmonary mesenchyme and epithelium, Grp78 and Lc3b of moderate fluorescence reactivity was demonstrated in wt mice for both evaluated time points, while yotari mice exhibited only epithelial reactivity for the same markers. Mild punctate expression of Hsc70 was observed for both genotypes. A significant difference was present when analyzing mTOR expression, where wt mice showed strong perinuclear staining in the epithelium. According to our data, Dab1 gene silencing may result in autophagy abnormalities, which could then cause respiratory system pathologies via defective lung cell degradation by lysosome-dependent cell elimination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammalian Gametogenesis, Fertilization and Early Embryogenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 16661 KiB  
Article
Special Staining and Protein Expression of VEGF/EGFR and P53/NF-κB in Cryptorchid Tissue of Erhualian Pigs
by Penggang Liu, Yiming Shao, Caihong Liu, Xiaoyang Lv, Seth Yaw Afedo and Wenbin Bao
Life 2024, 14(1), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14010100 - 8 Jan 2024
Viewed by 942
Abstract
Erhualian pigs exhibit one of the highest reproductive rates globally, and cryptorchidism is a crucial factor affecting reproductive abilities of boars. This investigation focused on cryptorchid tissues from Erhualian pigs, where the histological structure of cryptorchidism was observed using specialized staining. In addition, [...] Read more.
Erhualian pigs exhibit one of the highest reproductive rates globally, and cryptorchidism is a crucial factor affecting reproductive abilities of boars. This investigation focused on cryptorchid tissues from Erhualian pigs, where the histological structure of cryptorchidism was observed using specialized staining. In addition, protein expression of P53/NF-κB in cryptorchid tissues was assessed using Western blot and immunohistochemistry. In comparison to normal Erhualian testes, Masson’s trichrome staining indicated a reduction in collagen fibers in the connective tissue and around the basal membrane of the seminiferous tubules in cryptorchid testes. Moreover, collagen fiber distribution was observed to be disordered. Verhoeff Van Gieson (EVG) and argyrophilic staining demonstrated brownish-black granular nucleoli organized regions in mesenchymal cells and germ cells. When compared to normal testicles, the convoluted seminiferous tubules of cryptorchids exhibited a significantly reduced number and diameter (p < 0.01). Notably, VEGF/EGFR and P53/NF-κB expression in cryptorchidism significantly differed from that in normal testes. In particular, the expression of VEGF and P53 in cryptorchid tissues was significantly higher than that in normal testes tissues, whereas the expression of EGFR in cryptorchid tissues was significantly lower than that in normal testes tissues (all p < 0.01). NF-κB expressed no difference in both conditions. The expressions of VEGF and NF-κB were observed in the cytoplasm of testicular Leydig cells and spermatogenic cells, but they were weak in the nucleus. EGFR and P53 were more positively expressed in the cytoplasm of these cells, with no positive expression in the nucleus. Conclusion: There were changes in the tissue morphology and structure of the cryptorchid testis, coupled with abnormally high expression of VEGF and P53 proteins in Erhualian pigs. We speculate that this may be an important limiting factor to fecundity during cryptorchidism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammalian Gametogenesis, Fertilization and Early Embryogenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3262 KiB  
Article
Nuclear Distribution of the Chromatin-Remodeling Protein ATRX in Mouse Early Embryos during Normal Development and Developmental Arrest In Vitro
by Irina O. Bogolyubova, Zhuldyz K. Sailau and Dmitry S. Bogolyubov
Life 2024, 14(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14010005 - 19 Dec 2023
Viewed by 769
Abstract
The chromatin-remodeling protein ATRX, which is currently recognized as one of the key genome caretakers, plays an important role in oogenesis and early embryogenesis in mammals. ATRX distribution in the nuclei of mouse embryos developing in vivo and in vitro, including when the [...] Read more.
The chromatin-remodeling protein ATRX, which is currently recognized as one of the key genome caretakers, plays an important role in oogenesis and early embryogenesis in mammals. ATRX distribution in the nuclei of mouse embryos developing in vivo and in vitro, including when the embryos are arrested at the two-cell stage—the so-called two-cell block in vitro—was studied using immunofluorescent labeling and FISH. In normally developing two- and four-cell embryos, ATRX was found to be closely colocalized with pericentromeric DNA sequences detected with a probe to the mouse major satellite DNA. The association of ATRX with pericentromeric heterochromatin is mediated by nuclear actin and reduced after the treatment of embryos with latrunculin B. When culturing embryos in vitro, the distribution pattern of ATRX changes, leading to a decrease in the association of this protein with major satellite DNA especially under the two-cell block in vitro. Taken together, our data suggest that the intranuclear distribution of ATRX reflects the viability of mouse embryos and their probability of successful preimplantation development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammalian Gametogenesis, Fertilization and Early Embryogenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop