Journal of Reproduction and Development最新文献

Evidence that undernutrition increases AgRP signaling to arcuate kisspeptin neurons in male and female lambs. 有证据表明，营养不良会增加雄性和雌性羔羊的AgRP信号传导至弓形kisspeptin神经元。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-17 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-073

Sydney S Boney, Allison N Renwick, KaLynn K Harlow, Jeffrey R Sommer, Richard B McCosh, Arion Kennedy, Casey C Nestor

{"title":"Evidence that undernutrition increases AgRP signaling to arcuate kisspeptin neurons in male and female lambs.","authors":"Sydney S Boney, Allison N Renwick, KaLynn K Harlow, Jeffrey R Sommer, Richard B McCosh, Arion Kennedy, Casey C Nestor","doi":"10.1262/jrd.2026-073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1262/jrd.2026-073","url":null,"abstract":"Proper energy balance is important for reproductive success, but the central mechanism whereby undernutrition inhibits reproduction remains to be fully elucidated. Given that arcuate (ARC) kisspeptin (Kiss1) neurons express melanocortin receptors, orexigenic neurons that produce agouti-related peptide (AgRP), an endogenous antagonist/inverse agonist to melanocortin receptors, may play a role in relaying energy status to the reproductive axis. We hypothesized undernutrition would increase AgRP input to Kiss1 neurons and inhibit Kiss1 expression in melanocortin receptor expressing neurons in lambs. Using ARC tissue from male and female lambs that were fed to maintain body weight (FM; n = 6/sex) or feed-restricted (FR; n = 8/sex), we conducted dual-label immunofluorescence to assess Kiss1 and AgRP protein expression as well as RNAscope to assess mRNA content for Kiss1 and MC3R. Immunofluorescence revealed significantly more AgRP close-contacts onto ARC Kiss1 neurons in FR animals than in FM animals. RNAscope analysis revealed no significant difference in total MC3R-expressing cells between FR and FM males, while we observed significantly fewer total MC3R-expressing cells in FM females compared to FR females. Furthermore, we observed that the integrated density for Kiss1 in MC3R cells was significantly lower in FR animals compared to FM animals. Taken together, these findings support the conclusion that AgRP neurons inhibit arcuate Kiss1 neurons during undernutrition and play a key role in relaying negative energy status to reduce GnRH/LH secretion to ultimately impair reproduction in male and female sheep.","PeriodicalId":16942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Reproduction and Development","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Effects of intravaginal infusion of the osteopontin peptide possessing integrin-binding motifs on an inflammation-like response in the endometrium of dairy cows. 阴道内灌注具有整合素结合基序的骨桥蛋白肽对奶牛子宫内膜炎症样反应的影响。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-16 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-058

Takashi Tanida, Tomochika Sugiura, Kenichiro Sakaguchi, Yojiro Yanagawa, Seiji Katagiri

{"title":"Effects of intravaginal infusion of the osteopontin peptide possessing integrin-binding motifs on an inflammation-like response in the endometrium of dairy cows.","authors":"Takashi Tanida, Tomochika Sugiura, Kenichiro Sakaguchi, Yojiro Yanagawa, Seiji Katagiri","doi":"10.1262/jrd.2026-058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1262/jrd.2026-058","url":null,"abstract":"Intravaginal infusion of a peptide possessing the integrin-binding motifs of osteopontin (OPN peptide), a seminal protein, restored fertility in dairy cows by restoring the endometrial epidermal growth factor profile. Hypothetically, this treatment induces an inflammation-like response in the endometrium, which may modulate endometrial function. The present study aimed to determine whether intravaginal treatment with OPN peptide induces an inflammation-like response in the endometrium. Holstein lactating cows were infused with OPN peptide (peptide, n = 7) or vehicle only (control, n = 7) into the vagina 16-24 h after the second gonadotropin-releasing hormone treatment using the Ovsynch protocol. Endometrial, vaginal, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected immediately before and 4 h after treatment. Endometrial gene expression of IL1A,IL1B,IL8, and TNF and the percentage of polymorphonuclear cells (PMN%) in smears were evaluated. Gene expression in the vagina and in PBMCs and PMNs, and PMN% in vaginal smears, were also examined in some cows. The results revealed that the OPN peptide increased endometrial IL1B and IL8 expression and PMN%. In vaginal samples, the OPN peptide increased PMN%, despite no differences in cytokine expression between the groups. IL1A and IL1B expression in PBMCs decreased after treatment in both groups; however, their degrees of decrease in the peptide group were smaller than that in the control group. These data demonstrate that intravaginal infusion of OPN peptide induces an inflammation-like response in the endometrium as well as vaginal and potentially systemic immune responses in cows.","PeriodicalId":16942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Reproduction and Development","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Timing and duration of alpha-minimum essential medium exposure during preimplantation development determine long-term metabolic phenotypes in mice. 在植入前发育期间，α -最小必需培养基暴露的时间和持续时间决定了小鼠的长期代谢表型。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-16 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-090

Yoshiya Morishita, Atsushi Takahashi, Nodoka Umihira, Shiori Ishiyama, Kazuki Mochizuki, Satoshi Kishigami

{"title":"Timing and duration of alpha-minimum essential medium exposure during preimplantation development determine long-term metabolic phenotypes in mice.","authors":"Yoshiya Morishita, Atsushi Takahashi, Nodoka Umihira, Shiori Ishiyama, Kazuki Mochizuki, Satoshi Kishigami","doi":"10.1262/jrd.2026-090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1262/jrd.2026-090","url":null,"abstract":"The environment experienced during preimplantation development can influence long-term health. Continuous culture of mouse preimplantation embryos in α-minimum essential medium (αMEM) for 48 h induces the established \"MEM mouse\" phenotype, but the critical exposure window and required duration remain unclear. Here, 2-cell embryos were cultured for 48 h in mCZB alone (mCZB), in αMEM for the first 24 h followed by mCZB (M/C), in mCZB for the first 24 h followed by αMEM (C/M), or in αMEM for the full 48 h (MEM). Blastocyst development, lineage allocation, fetal and placental growth, postnatal growth, survival under high-fat diet (HFD), and glucose tolerance were evaluated. Continuous 48 h exposure reduced blastocyst formation, and late or sustained αMEM exposure reduced Cdx2-positive trophectoderm cell number. After embryo transfer, in vitro culture groups showed increased placental and birth weights compared with natural mating controls, although possible litter/recipient effects should be considered. Under HFD challenge, MEM offspring developed overweight-associated impaired glucose tolerance, M/C offspring showed severe HFD intolerance with body-weight loss and reduced survival, and C/M offspring showed a tendency toward impaired glucose handling without marked overweight. Our findings suggest that the timing and duration of αMEM exposure during preimplantation development influence long-term metabolic phenotypes. Sustained 48 h exposure was associated with the overweight-related phenotype, whereas temporally restricted exposures were associated with different postnatal responses.","PeriodicalId":16942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Reproduction and Development","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Heat stress during maternal recognition of pregnancy alters cortisol concentrations and fertility in Holstein cows. 在母亲识别怀孕期间的热应激改变了荷斯坦奶牛的皮质醇浓度和生育力。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-15 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-101

Rodrigo H Kawabata, Poram Kim, Yuto Uno, Andrew J Scheftgen, Kyoka Isayama, Keisuke Suganuma, Shingo Haneda, Motozumi Matsui, Tomás J Acosta

{"title":"Heat stress during maternal recognition of pregnancy alters cortisol concentrations and fertility in Holstein cows.","authors":"Rodrigo H Kawabata, Poram Kim, Yuto Uno, Andrew J Scheftgen, Kyoka Isayama, Keisuke Suganuma, Shingo Haneda, Motozumi Matsui, Tomás J Acosta","doi":"10.1262/jrd.2026-101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1262/jrd.2026-101","url":null,"abstract":"Heat stress has a strong negative impact on reproduction in dairy cattle during summer. However, the effects of exposure to heat stress and their relationship with cortisol during maternal recognition of pregnancy have not been fully characterized. To understand how heat stress negatively affects pregnancy outcomes in cattle, and whether cortisol is involved in the establishment of pregnancy, we evaluated the relationship between the daily number of hours with a temperature-humidity index (THI) ≥ 65 and plasma cortisol concentrations on Day 18 post-insemination. In this study, 50 artificial insemination (AI) events (32 cows and 18 heifers) performed between April and October 2024 were evaluated. Plasma cortisol concentrations were measured on Day 18, and pregnancy was diagnosed on Day 30 post-AI. Logistic regression analysis revealed that exposure to THI ≥ 65 on Day 18 was negatively associated with pregnancy probability (β = -0.089; OR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.83-0.99; P < 0.05) in cows, but not in heifers. Linear regression analysis showed a significant positive association between THI and plasma cortisol concentrations in cows (β = 0.183; P < 0.001); however, this relationship was not observed in heifers. Additionally, plasma cortisol concentrations were higher in non-pregnant cows than in pregnant cows on Day 18 (P < 0.01). Together, these findings suggest that heat stress exposure during maternal recognition of pregnancy may impair the establishment of pregnancy partially by increasing cortisol concentration in dairy cows, even under temperate conditions such as those in Hokkaido.","PeriodicalId":16942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Reproduction and Development","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149182563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Automated precise recognition of ovine embryo microscopic images using a boundary-enhanced deep learning network. 使用边界增强深度学习网络的羊胚胎显微图像的自动精确识别。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-01 Epub Date: 2026-06-21 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-024

Zhihui Shi, Chongchong Yu, Jingyu Ren, Jie Zhu, Dongyue Zhou, Haixia Wang, Mingyue Yang, Hanqing Yang

{"title":"Automated precise recognition of ovine embryo microscopic images using a boundary-enhanced deep learning network.","authors":"Zhihui Shi, Chongchong Yu, Jingyu Ren, Jie Zhu, Dongyue Zhou, Haixia Wang, Mingyue Yang, Hanqing Yang","doi":"10.1262/jrd.2026-024","DOIUrl":"10.1262/jrd.2026-024","url":null,"abstract":"Efficient selection of in vitro-fertilized embryos is crucial for assisted reproduction in sheep, and automated microscopic analysis can enable objective evaluation. Instance segmentation is a key prerequisite for extracting downstream morphological and morphokinetic indicators. However, ovine embryo microscopic images typically exhibit abundant cytoplasmic lipid droplets and tightly packed blastomeres, causing conventional segmentation methods to fail when cell boundaries are faint. Here, we developed a boundary-enhanced deep learning network (BE-DFNet) to address high-density cell adhesion. By introducing a boundary stream as a structural prior to focus on cell-cell contact interfaces, the model was validated on 847 2D brightfield images covering the early cleavage stages (from 1-cell to 16-cell). We specifically focused on these stages because they provide critical morphokinetic indicators (e.g., t2 to t8) before significant blastomere overlapping in the compacted morula stage physically limits the reliability of 2D instance segmentation. BE-DFNet achieved a panoptic quality of 0.5088, outperforming a representative state-of-the-art method, Cellpose-SAM (0.4323). Notably, BE-DFNet reduced endpoint error, which reflects topological consistency, from 1.6265 to 0.4632, indicating improved separation of adhered blastomeres. Collectively, BE-DFNet effectively mitigates cytoplasmic texture interference and ensures the high-precision topological reconstruction of blastomere boundaries, providing a reliable foundation for fully automated morphokinetic grading.","PeriodicalId":16942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Reproduction and Development","volume":" ","pages":"786-793"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13677194/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148295548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Human iPSC-derived fetal granulosa-like cells enhance oocyte maturation outcomes and enable multi-generational safety evaluation in a mouse IVM model. 人类ipsc衍生的胎儿颗粒样细胞可增强卵母细胞成熟结果，并可在小鼠IVM模型中进行多代安全性评估。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-24 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-026

Kasane Imura-Kishi, Katsuma Yamaga, Shou Soeda, Keisuke Masuda, Yuki Mizoue, Reiri Koga, Daisuke Torigoe, Hiroki Miyazaki, Iori Sato, Orie Hikabe, Kazuaki Kojima, Toru Takeo, Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Yasunari Seita

{"title":"Human iPSC-derived fetal granulosa-like cells enhance oocyte maturation outcomes and enable multi-generational safety evaluation in a mouse IVM model.","authors":"Kasane Imura-Kishi, Katsuma Yamaga, Shou Soeda, Keisuke Masuda, Yuki Mizoue, Reiri Koga, Daisuke Torigoe, Hiroki Miyazaki, Iori Sato, Orie Hikabe, Kazuaki Kojima, Toru Takeo, Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Yasunari Seita","doi":"10.1262/jrd.2026-026","DOIUrl":"10.1262/jrd.2026-026","url":null,"abstract":"In vitro maturation (IVM) of germinal vesicle oocytes may broaden assisted reproductive technologies; however, developmental competence remains limited by the lack of standardized follicular somatic support. We generated an endogenous FOXL2-P2A-tdTomato reporter human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line using CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in and reporter-guided transcription factor (TF) programming to produce fetal granulosa-like cells (FGLCs). A flow cytometric TF screen identified TCF21, WT1-KTS, and NR1H4 as the strongest FOXL2 inducers, and combinatorial optimization showed that removing TOX3/ETV5 and adding NR2F2 substantially increased the FOXL2-positive fraction. Bulk RNA-seq, principal component analysis, and TF activity inference positioned the induced cells close to early-gestational human fetal granulosa cell profiles. In a mouse IVM, in vitro fertilization (IVF), blastocyst culture, and embryo transfer pipeline, FGLC supplementation did not change nuclear maturation rates but improved downstream development, most clearly increasing offspring production from cumulus-oocyte complexes. A comprehensive safety assessment of F0 offspring derived from FGLC-treated oocytes revealed a normal sex ratio, postnatal growth, gross anatomy, gonadal histology, and modified SHIRPA neurobehavioral profiles. Next-generation natural mating and germ cell assays demonstrated preserved fertility, normal IVF outcomes, and normal sperm parameters in the F1 generation. These results establish a scalable strategy for generating fetal granulosa-like supporting cells from hiPSCs and provide an effective and multi-generational safety framework for oocyte-contact IVM interventions.","PeriodicalId":16942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Reproduction and Development","volume":" ","pages":"862-874"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13677170/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148620542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Evaluation of vaginal electrical resistance as an indicator of optimal timing for mating in alpacas: a pilot study. 评估阴道电阻作为一个指标的最佳交配时间在羊驼：试点研究。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-12 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-079

Naoki Yamamoto, Misa Arafurue, Yojiro Yanagawa, Mina Wada, Masashi Nagano

引用次数: 0

Sperm-TLR2 activation enhances bovine embryo developmental competence via modulation of intracellular calcium and autophagic flux. 精子- tlr2激活通过调节细胞内钙和自噬通量提高牛胚胎发育能力。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-01 Epub Date: 2026-06-09 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-075

Taiyo Hashimoto, Ihshan Akthar, Yu Matsuzawa, Alireza Mansouri, Ren Uchiyama, Fumie Magata, Akio Miyamoto

{"title":"Sperm-TLR2 activation enhances bovine embryo developmental competence via modulation of intracellular calcium and autophagic flux.","authors":"Taiyo Hashimoto, Ihshan Akthar, Yu Matsuzawa, Alireza Mansouri, Ren Uchiyama, Fumie Magata, Akio Miyamoto","doi":"10.1262/jrd.2026-075","DOIUrl":"10.1262/jrd.2026-075","url":null,"abstract":"The optimization of in vitro embryo production (IVP) is critical for bovine biotechnology, particularly for maximizing the yield of high-quality embryos suitable for transfer. This study investigated how Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) activation in sperm, using the agonist Pam3CSK4 (Pam), influences fertilization outcomes, metabolic activity, and cryotolerance. Japanese Black sperm were treated with 50 ng/ml Pam for 30 min before fertilizing Holstein oocytes. Embryos were cultured for 7 days, with quality assessed via total cell counts, apoptosis, calcium signaling, and autophagy markers. For cryopreservation trials, only high-quality (grade A) blastocysts were selected for slow-freezing to evaluate re-expansion and hatching rates. Our results demonstrate that TLR2 activation in sperm significantly enhanced cleavage and blastocyst rates, increasing the overall efficiency of embryo production by approximately 10% compared to the control. Embryos derived from Pam-treated sperm exhibited superior biological quality, characterized by increased total cell numbers in blastocysts and reduced apoptosis in expanded blastocysts. Mechanistically, TLR2 activation elevated basal calcium levels and modulated autophagic flux, indicating a beneficial shift in metabolic programming. Notably, while the absolute number of embryos increased, the proportion of grade A blastocysts and their post-thaw survival metrics remained comparable to the control. This suggests that while TLR2 signaling effectively scales up IVP efficiency, the resulting developmental gains represent a hidden physiological strength that conventional morphological grading may not fully capture. These findings indicate that pre-IVF sperm treatment with Pam effectively primes the embryo for superior cellular development while maintaining the essential cryo-survival standards required for commercial applications.","PeriodicalId":16942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Reproduction and Development","volume":" ","pages":"766-775"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148218284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Regulation of spermatozoal capacitation by serotonin. 血清素对精子获能的调节。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-05 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-035

Masakatsu Fujinoki

{"title":"Regulation of spermatozoal capacitation by serotonin.","authors":"Masakatsu Fujinoki","doi":"10.1262/jrd.2026-035","DOIUrl":"10.1262/jrd.2026-035","url":null,"abstract":"Mammalian spermatozoa begin swimming after ejaculation. After spermatozoa enter the oviduct, they undergo capacitation, penetrate the oocyte envelope, and fertilize the oocytes. These processes occur spontaneously but are influenced by hormones and neurotransmitters. Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] is a well-known neurotransmitter found in reproductive organs. In the female reproductive system, serotonin is synthesized in the cumulus cells and affects steroidogenesis, oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo development. Recent studies have suggested that serotonin is also synthesized in spermatozoa and can affect motility, hyperactivation, acrosome reaction, and the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in hamsters, humans, mice, and rats. Importantly, the effects of serotonin on sperm function are dose-dependent, at least in hamsters, and serotonin concentrations in the female reproductive tract fluctuate during ovulation. The effects of serotonin on sperm function are mediated by 5-HT receptors (mainly 5-HT2 and 5-HT4), which stimulate Ca2+ and cyclic AMP signaling, respectively. The 5-HT2 receptor is involved in regulating motility and hyperactivation in hamsters, humans, and mice, whereas the 5-HT4 receptor is involved in regulating hyperactivation, the acrosome reaction, and IVF success in hamsters, mice, and rats. Because the 5-HT4 receptor is a common receptor in rodents associated with capacitation and IVF success and is stimulated by serotonin synthesized in spermatozoa, current evidence indicates that the 5-HT4 receptor is especially important for the regulation of rodent spermatozoal functions regulated by serotonin.","PeriodicalId":16942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Reproduction and Development","volume":" ","pages":"732-739"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13677193/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148391219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

B3GALT4-dependent gangliosides are required for normal late spermatogenesis and male fertility. b3galt4依赖性神经节苷脂是正常晚期精子发生和男性生育所必需的。

IF 2.1 4区生物学

Journal of Reproduction and Development Pub Date : 2026-10-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-16 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2026-089

Shino Nagata, Saki Nishioka, Masahito Ikawa, Manabu Ozawa

{"title":"B3GALT4-dependent gangliosides are required for normal late spermatogenesis and male fertility.","authors":"Shino Nagata, Saki Nishioka, Masahito Ikawa, Manabu Ozawa","doi":"10.1262/jrd.2026-089","DOIUrl":"10.1262/jrd.2026-089","url":null,"abstract":"Gangliosides play important roles in membrane organization and cellular signaling. Although their involvement in spermatogenesis has been suggested, the specific functions of individual ganglioside species during each stage of germ cell development remain poorly understood. In this study, we generated beta-1,3-galactosyltransferase 4(B3galt4) knockout (KO) mice to investigate the role of B3GALT4-dependent ganglioside in male germ cell development. Immunostaining analyses demonstrated that B3galt4 deficiency caused selective alterations in ganglioside distribution. Although testis size did not differ significantly between KO and control mice, KO males were completely infertile. Histological examination revealed that spermatogenesis in KO mice proceeded to the elongating spermatid stage; however, abnormalities were observed during the late stages of spermatogenesis, including a reduced number of elongating/elongated spermatids and multinucleated giant cells in subsets of seminiferous tubules. Consistent with these observations, the number of sperm recovered from the cauda epididymis was markedly decreased, accompanied by morphological abnormalities and impaired motility. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that B3galt4 deficiency compromises late spermatogenesis and sperm function, resulting in male infertility. Our results further suggest that B3GALT4-dependent gangliosides have stage-dependent roles during late spermatogenesis and sperm development.","PeriodicalId":16942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Reproduction and Development","volume":" ","pages":"875-882"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148456135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0