• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.43-49
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• 2019

Primordial follicle activation is a process in which individual primordial follicles leave their dormant state and enter a growth phase. While existing hormone stimulation strategies targeted the growing follicles, the remaining dormant primordial follicles were ruled out from clinical use. Recently, in vitro activation (IVA), which is a method for controlling primordial follicle activation, has provided an innovative technology for primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) patients. IVA was developed based on Hippo signaling and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) signaling modulation. With this method, dormant primordial follicles are activated to enter growth phase and developed into competent oocytes. IVA has been successfully applied in POI patients who only have a few remaining remnant primordial follicles in the ovary, and healthy pregnancies and deliveries have been reported. IVA may also provide a promising option for fertility preservation in cancer patients and prepubertal girls whose fertility preservation choices are limited to tissue cryopreservation. Here, we review the basic mechanisms, translational studies, and current clinical results for IVA. Limitations and further study requirements that could potentially optimize IVA for future use will also be discussed.

• 한국발생생물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국발생생물학회 2003년도 제3회 국제심포지움 및 학술대회
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• pp.75-75
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• 2003

Transition of the resting primordial follicle to the growing primary follicle is a critical process for female reproduction, but its mechanism is poorly understood. The present study was conducted to investigate gene expression profile at the primordial-primary follicle transition process. We isolated total RNA of female mouse ovary at day1 (contains only primordial follicles) and day5 (contains primordial and primary follicles) and synthesized cDNA using annealing control primers (ACP; Seegene, Inc., Seoul, Korea). ACP provides annealing specificity and sensitivity to the template and allows to identify only authentic differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We used total 80 ACPs for PCR, observed PCR products on 2% agarose gel, cloned 42 DEGs using TOPO TA cloning vector, sequenced, and analyzed by BLAST search. Sequences of 34 clones significantly matched database entries while 4 clones were novel and 4 clones were EST. Two of 34 genes were specifically expressed only in day 5 ovaries (Sui1-rs1, Apg3p/Aut1p-like), and rest of 32 genes were expressed in both stages but were differential in amount. Differential expression was confirmed using semiquantitative RT-PCR, and there was no false positive. Anx11 and Pepp2-pending were highly expressed genes in day1-, while BPOZ, Ches1, Kcmf1, NHE3, Nid2, Ninj1, SENP3 and Survivin were highly expressed genes in day5-ovary. List of genes would provide insight for further study of mechanism regulating primordial-primary follicle transition.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.385-390
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• 1999

Ovarian follicles are faced with one of two fates, atresia or development. Up to 99% of follicles become degenerated rather than ovulated in female life span. Thus, atresia occurs at all stages of follicle development in mammalian ovaries. In the present experiment, the effect of ${\gamma}$-radiation on primordial follicles was morphologically analyzed in a mouse ovary. Thirty-seven percent of the primordial follicles in the non-irradiated control mice ovaries were abnormal. At day 8 post irradiation, most of primordial follicles became atretic. They lost their integrity of architecture in the follicular shape. Then, all the oocytes disappeared from the follicles. And only 3 to 4 granulosa cells lay down onto the basement membrane. Disappearance of granulosa cells or oocytes resulted from the radiation-induced apoptotic process. It is definitely clear that ${\gamma}$-radiation induces rapid apoptotic degeneration of the primordial follicles. The morphological degeneration induced by radiation in the primordial follicles can be used as an experimental model to draw out a deeper insight for radioprotectant researches.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.10-14
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• 2012

The ovarian follicles develop initially from primordial follicles. The majority of ovarian primordial follicles are maintained quiescently as a reserve for the reproductive life span. Only a few of them are activated and develop to an advanced follicular stage. The maintenance of dormancy and activation of primordial follicles are controlled by coordinated actions of a suppressor/activator with close communications with somatic cells and intra-oocyte signaling pathways. Many growth factors and signaling pathways have been identified and the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily plays important roles in early folliculogenesis. However, the mechanism of maintaining the dormancy and survival of primordial follicles has remained unknown for decades. Recently, since the first finding that all primordial follicles are activated prematurely in mice deficient forkhead box O3a, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) signaling pathway was reported to be important in the regulation of dormancy and initial follicular activation. With these informations on early folliculogenesis, clinical application can be expected such as in vitro maturation of immature oocytes or in vitro activation of follicles by PTEN inhibitor in cryopreserved ovarian cortical tissues for fertility preservation.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.137-145
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• 2000

포유류 원시난포의 분화에는 뇌하수체에서 분비되는 gonadotropins 외에도 다양한 성장인자들 뿐 아니라 스테로이드호르몬 등이 관여하며, 난황낭에서 기원된 생식세포들과 중신에서부터 유입되는 기질세포들의 복잡한 상호작용에 의해 이루어진다. 특히 사람의 경우 태아기에 분화가 시작된 원시난포들은 성장을 개시한 후 배란이 되거나 혹은 폐쇄되어 난소에서 제거되는데, 일부 원시난포는 성장이 개시되기까지 50년 이상 원시난포의 상태로 유지된다. 그러나 원시난포의 분화 및 성장정지, 성장개시의 기전에 관하여는 현재까지 정확하게 밝혀져 있지 않다. 본 논문에서는 태아 및 신생아의 난소에서 gonadotrorin의 수용체, 성장인자와 성장인자 수용체, 그리고 스테로이드호르몬 수용체의 발현을 조사하였다. 이 결과들을 바탕으로 사람 원시난포의 형성, 성장정지를 조절하는 기전 그리고 원시난포의 성장개시에 영향을 미치는 요인을 알아보았다.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.89-96
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• 2002

성장을 멈추고 있는 원시난포(primordial follicle)에서 난포발달이 개시되어 1차난포(primary follicle)로 발달하는 조절기전은 잘 알려져 있지 않다. 이 초기 난포발달 과정에 관여하는 유전자를 알아내기 위해 suppression subtractive hybridization(SSH)을 사용하였다. 생후 1일과 5일째의 생쥐 난소로부터 얻은 cDNA로 forward와 reverse subtraction을 수행하여 각각 day1과 day5-subtracted cDNA library를 얻었다. 이를 cloning한 결과, 357개 clone의 염기 서열을 BLAST와 RIKEN을 이용해 분석하여 27개의 clone은 novel gene으로 330개의 clone은 데이터 베이스와 일치함을 알았다. 이 중에 기능이 알려진 유전자는 day1에서는 42종, day5에서는 47종이 각각 차이 나게 발현하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. Day1-subtracted cDNA library에서는 GDF8, lats2, septin2, wee1등 4개 유전자를, day5-subtracted cDNA library에서는 HSP84, laminin2, MATER, MTi7, PTP 및 wrn등 6개 유전자를 선택하여 LCM-RT-PCR방법으로 실제로 원시난포와 1차난포에서 차이 나게 발현되고 있는 것을 확인하였다. 본 연구에서 얻은 유전자 발현 양상의 결과는 앞으로 생쥐뿐만 아니라 사람 난소에서 primordial-primary follicle transition에 관여하는 기전을 연구하는데 중요한 정보를 제공할 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.51-58
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• 2021

Kisspeptin, a neuropeptide and the master controller of reproductive axis upstream to GnRH neurons, and its receptor are also expressed in extra-hypothalamic tissues, such as ovaries. As systemic kisspeptin has been shown to modulate follicular dynamics in cattle, we hypothesized that kisspeptin has direct actions on the ovarian follicular development. We also hypothesized that kisspeptin regulation of primordial follicle development is via modulation of VEGF expression. In order to test these hypotheses, we cultured caprine ovarian cortical strips in vitro for 7 days with supplementation of kisspeptin at 1, 10 and 100 µM concentration and observed the development of primordial follicles into intermediate, primary and secondary follicles. We also studied the alteration in the expression profile of VEGF and VEGF transcript variant 2 mRNA during follicular development in the presence of kisspeptin. We confirmed the presence of GPR54 in goat ovaries in our preliminary studies. Supplementation of kisspeptin at 1 and 10 µM concentration facilitated the development of primordial follicles into intermediate, primary and secondary follicles with less number of degenerated follicles while the same at 100 µM resulted in degeneration of follicles. We observed a drastic increase in the expression profile of VEGF and VEGF transcript variant 2 mRNA upon culture which was independent of kisspeptin treatment. In conclusion, our studies show that kisspeptin facilitates ovarian primordial development in vitro.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.93-100
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• 2022

Objective: The impact of imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on ovarian follicles and several proteins related to follicular function and apoptosis was investigated in mice. Methods: Saline, cyclophosphamide (Cp; 50 or 75 mg/kg), or imatinib (7.5 or 15 mg/kg) was injected once intraperitoneally into female B6D2F1 mice (18 mice in each group). In multiple ovarian sections, the number of various types of follicles and the proportion of good-quality (G1) follicles were counted. The levels of six proteins (anti-Müllerian hormone [AMH], BCL-xL, BAX, acid sphingomyelinase [A-SMase], caspase-3, and α-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA]) within the whole ovaries were quantified using Western blots. Results: Compared to the saline group, a significant reduction of the primordial follicle count was observed in the group treated with imatinib 7.5 and 15 mg/kg, as well as in the group treated with Cp 75 mg/kg. Administration of Cp significantly decreased the proportion of G1 primordial follicles, but administration of imatinib did not. No differences in the AMH, anti-apoptotic BCLX-L, pro-apoptotic BAX, and A-SMase levels in the ovarian tissues were observed among the five groups. However, caspase-3 and α-SMA levels were significantly higher in the imatinib and Cp groups than in the saline group. Conclusion: The administration of imatinib to mice significantly reduced the primordial follicle count and increased the protein levels of caspase-3 and α-SMA. Our findings suggest that imatinib potentially exerts ovarian toxicity via apoptotic processes, similarly to Cp.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.127-136
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• 2003

본 연구에서는 이러한 초기 난포 발달 과정 중 원시난포-1차 난포 변화과정 시기에 발현하는 유전자를 알아보고 자 수행하였다. 원시난포로만 이루어져 있는 생쥐의 생후 1일자 난소와 원시난포 및 1차 난포로만 이루어져 있는 5일자 난소의 RNA와 총 80개의 annealing control primer(ACP) primer를 사용하여 PCR을 수행하여 서로 다르게 발현하는 유전자 (differentially expressed genes; DEG) 41개를 찾아내었다. 이들 중 33개는 BLAST에 등록되어 있는 유전자와 일치하였고 4개는 novel sequence였으며 나머지 4개의 유전자는 EST이었다. 실험결과, 1일자 난소에서 더 많이 발현되는 유전자를 9개, 5일자 난소에서 더 많이 발현되는 유전자 31개, 5일자 난소에서만 특이적으로 발현하는 유전자를 1개를 얻었다. 1일자 난소에서 높게 발현하는 Anx11과 Pepp2-pending, 반면에 5일자 난소는 Apg3/Autlp-like, BPOZ, Ches1, Kcmf1, NHE3, Nid2, Ninj1, SENP3, Suil-rsl, TIAP/m-survivin등의 유전자를 선택하여 semi-quantitative RT-PCR을 수행하여 이들 중에는 false positive 없음을 확인하였다. In situ hybridization을 수행하여 대부분의 유전자가 원시난포의 난자에서 발현하다가 1차 난포 이상의 발달단계에서는 난자 내 발현이 사라지면서 오히려 과립세포에서 높게 발현됨을 확인하였다. 또한 laser capture microdissection을 이용하여 원시난포와 1차 난포를 각각 오려내고, real-time PCR을 이용하여 실제로 BPOZ와 TIAP/m-survivin의 발현이 1차 난포에서 각각4.5배, 3.4배 높은 것을 다시 확인하였다. 본 연구결과로 얻어진 유전자 목록은 앞으로 초기 난포발달, 특히 원시난포-1차 난포 변화과정에 관여하고 있는 분자생물학적 기전을 연구하는데 기여하게 될 것이다

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.40-47
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• 2017

난포 내 난자를 둘러싸고 있는 과립세포는 난자를 위한 성장상태 및 난포의 발달에 중요하다. Solute carrier family 유전자는 스테로이드 호르몬, 다양한 약물, 몇몇 다른 기질을 유입시킨다. 연구에서 획득한 서로 다르게 발현하는 유전자들 (DEGs) 중 일부를 in situ hybridization을 통해 분석하였다. 분석한 결과 SLC23A3과 SLC39A10이 난소에서 높게 발현하였다. SLC39A10 유전자는 원시난포에서 높게 발현하였고, SLC23A3은 일차, 이차 난포에서 높게 발현하였다. 특히 성장하는 난포의 과립막 세포에서 발현하였다. SLC23A3과 SLC39A10은 원시난포와 일차난포에서 다르게 발현하는 것은 각 난포의 분리를 통해 좀 더 확인해야 할 것이다. 본 연구에서는 유전자 발현 정보를 통해 원시난포의 개시와 성장을 위한 전환에 관여하는 기전을 이해하는데 기초정보와 난포발달 촉진을 위한 난소기능부전의 기전을 규명하는데 정보를 제공할 것으로 기대된다.