{"title":"No evidence for age-related differences in mitochondrial RNA quality in the female germline.","authors":"Fiona Hartley, Arwa Alageel, Ruth Appeltant, Nicki Gray, Emmanouela Repapi, Dagan Wells, Suzannah A Williams, Joanna Poulton","doi":"10.1530/RAF-22-0025","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-22-0025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Mitochondrial quality is implicated as a contributor to declining fertility with aging. We investigated mitochondrial transcripts in oocytes and their associated cumulus cells from mice of different ages using RNA-seq. Mice aged 3 weeks, 9 weeks, and 1 year were superovulated, and 48 h later, oocyte cumulus complexes were collected by follicle puncture. We did not detect any major differences that could be attributed to aging. However, mitochondrial RNA transcripts which deviated from the consensus sequence were found at a higher frequency in cumulus cells than in their corresponding oocyte. Previous investigations have shown that variation in the sequence of mtRNA transcripts is substantial, and at least some of this can be accounted for by post-transcriptional modifications which impact base calling during sequencing. Our data would be consistent with either less post-transcriptional modification in mitochondrial RNA from oocytes than cumulus cells or with lower mtDNA mutational load.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>Women become less fertile as they age. Shortage of energy contributes to this, caused by a decline in the quality of mitochondria (the powerhouses of the cell) in the egg. Genes are the blueprint for the cell. They are made of DNA which is copied into an RNA message, or instructions, for making proteins. We counted differences in the RNA message of developing eggs and the cells that support them during development (cumulus cells). We compared the number of these differences in mice of different ages. These age groups represent mice had not reached puberty, those of prime reproductive age, and old mothers. We did not find any differences linked to the age of the mice. However, we did find differences between the egg and the cumulus cells. In most cases, there were lower levels of mutations in eggs than there were in cumulus cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":" ","pages":"198-206"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9513661/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40415678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Heidy Kaune, Juan F Montiel, Mark Fenwick, Suzannah Alice Williams
{"title":"Rapid ovarian transcript changes during the onset of premature ovarian insufficiency.","authors":"Heidy Kaune, Juan F Montiel, Mark Fenwick, Suzannah Alice Williams","doi":"10.1530/RAF-22-0036","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-22-0036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The manuscript has been submitted without altering abstract in line with Reproduction's Flexible Submission Process. The abstract is extended and thus does not fit this space.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9513667/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9187908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The effect of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation on ovarian reserve via PTEN pathway.","authors":"Perihan Sezginer, Cigdem Elmas, Fatma Yıldız","doi":"10.1530/RAF-21-0075","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-21-0075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>This study was carried out to investigate whether repeated controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) affects ovarian reserve. For this reason, we aimed to show possible changes in the expression of PTEN and FOXO3, which are involved in preserving the over-reserve, after applying the COH protocol methods. For this purpose, 18 young Wistar albino female rats (8 weeks old) were randomly assigned as group 1 (control), group 2, and group 3 as 6 subjects in each group. Experimental groups were treated with 10 IU/0.1 mL pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin and a COH protocol consisting of 10 IU/0.1 mL human chorionic gonadotropin injection after 48 h. This procedure was applied three and five times to group 2 and group 3, respectively. For the control groups, the same procedures were performed with 0.1 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. At the end of the experiment, the ovarium tissues were placed in a 10% neutral formaldehyde solution for light microscopic examinations. In histological sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, the number of ovarian follicles was determined using the physical dissector method. However, the expression of PTEN, FOXO3, and LH-R molecules was evaluated by immunohistochemical methods. As a result of our study, it was concluded that COH administration reduces the expression levels of PTEN and FOXO3 proteins and LH-R, which are among the essential components of the PIK3 intracellular signaling pathway and also increased the levels of hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and luteinizing hormone, which are over-reserve markers, and causes adverse effects on the histological structure, oocyte morphology, and number of ovaries.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>Today, approximately 10-15% of couples experience fertility problems. However, assisted reproductive techniques help people with fertility problems to get pregnant. The main purpose of these techniques is to put the sperm and egg together outside the woman's body where the eggs are fertilized and then to return the fertilized eggs (embryos) to the womb. During a woman's menstrual cycle, several hormones influence the growth of the eggs. This process can be mimicked by using various medications. Medication is given to increase the number of eggs that develop. However, this method is not the same as normal ovulation. Therefore, in our study, we wanted to examine the effect that developing multiple follicles has on the number and quality of eggs remaining for the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":" ","pages":"187-197"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9513659/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40702016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jennifer Pearson-Farr, Gabrielle Wheway, Maaike Sybil Jongen, Patricia Goggin, Rohan Lewis, Ying Cheong, Jane Cleal
{"title":"Endometrial gland specific progestagen-associated endometrial protein and cilia gene splicing changes in recurrent pregnancy loss.","authors":"Jennifer Pearson-Farr, Gabrielle Wheway, Maaike Sybil Jongen, Patricia Goggin, Rohan Lewis, Ying Cheong, Jane Cleal","doi":"10.1530/RAF-22-0002","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-22-0002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Endometrial glands are essential for fertility, consisting of ciliated and secretory cells that facilitate a suitable uterine environment for embryo implantation. This study sought to determine whether an endometrial gland specific transcriptome and splicing profile are altered in women with recurrent pregnancy loss. Our data provide a comprehensive catalogue of cilia and PAEP gene isoforms and relative exon usage in endometrial glands. We report a previously unannotated endometrial gland cilia transcript GALNT11 and its susceptibility to exon skipping. Key endometrial receptivity gene transcripts are also reported to change in endometrial glands of women with recurrent pregnancy loss. The endometrial gland cilia and PAEP targets identified in this study could be used to identify a perturbed endometrium, isolate causes of recurrent pregnancy loss and develop targeted therapies in personalised medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9513660/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40617664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yoshinobu Ichikawa, Mei Matsuzaki, Shusei Mizushima, Tomohiro Sasanami
{"title":"Possible involvement of annexin A6 in preferential sperm penetration in the germinal disk region.","authors":"Yoshinobu Ichikawa, Mei Matsuzaki, Shusei Mizushima, Tomohiro Sasanami","doi":"10.1530/RAF-21-0115","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-21-0115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>During fertilization, avian sperm preferentially penetrate into the perivitelline membrane that covers the germinal disk region where the female nucleus is present. This phenomenon has been observed not only in domestic birds but also in wild birds; however, the mechanisms controlling sperm preference are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the possible involvement of annexin family protein in sperm-egg interaction in Japanese quail. Microscopic examination of fertilized eggs indicated that quail sperm penetration only occurred in the germinal disk region, and sperm localized outside the germinal disk were trapped in the perivitelline membrane. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy revealed the presence of annexin A1 and A6 in the oocyte membrane, while annexin A6 localized in the perivitelline space of the germinal disk region. Further, our sperm binding assay using recombinant annexin A6 demonstrated that ejaculated sperm specifically bound to annexin A6 expressed in mammalian cell lines. These results suggest that annexin A6, which is expressed on the surface of oocytes, may function in sperm-egg interaction in the germinal disk region and that this binding may ensure sperm retention on the surface of the egg plasma membrane until fertilization takes place in Japanese quail.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>In bird species, fertilization takes place immediately after ovulation of the egg. Sperm preferentially penetrate a specific area of the egg coating that covers the 'germinal disk region' - this area contains the cell that needs to be fertilized by a sperm. However, since the bird egg is extremely large in size and sperm must reach the 'germinal disk region' to achieve fertilization, it is unclear how this happens. Annexin proteins support fertilization in mammals, and we found that annexin A6 protein exhibits a unique localization in the germinal disk region in the eggs of Japanese quail. To test this interaction, we incubated quail sperm with cells that produced annexin A6 and found that ejaculated sperm bound to the cells. These results suggest that annexin A6 may have a role in the sperm-egg interaction in the germinal disk region in Japanese quail.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":" ","pages":"152-161"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/3d/07/RAF-21-0115.PMC9422249.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40702017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrea Romano, Sun-Wei Guo, Jan Brosens, Asgerally Fazlebas, Caroline E Gargett, Stefan Giselbrecht, Martin Gotte, Linda Griffith, Hugh S Taylor, Robert N Taylor, Hugo Vankelecom, Charles Chapron, Xiao-Hong Chang, Khaleque N Khan, Paola Vigano'
{"title":"ENDOCELL-Seud: a Delphi protocol to harmonise methods in endometrial cell culturing.","authors":"Andrea Romano, Sun-Wei Guo, Jan Brosens, Asgerally Fazlebas, Caroline E Gargett, Stefan Giselbrecht, Martin Gotte, Linda Griffith, Hugh S Taylor, Robert N Taylor, Hugo Vankelecom, Charles Chapron, Xiao-Hong Chang, Khaleque N Khan, Paola Vigano'","doi":"10.1530/RAF-22-0041","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-22-0041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In vitro: </strong>culturing of endometrial cells obtained from the uterine mucosa or ectopic sites is used to study molecular and cellular signalling relevant to physiologic and pathologic reproductive conditions. However, the lack of consensus on standard operating procedures for deriving, characterising and maintaining primary cells in two- or three-dimensional cultures from eutopic or ectopic endometrium may be hindering progress in this area of research. Guidance for unbiased in vitro research methodologies in the field of reproductive science remains essential to increase confidence in the reliability of in vitro models. We present herein the protocol for a Delphi process to develop a consensus on in vitro methodologies using endometrial cells (ENDOCELL-Seud Project). A steering committee composed of leading scientists will select critical methodologies, topics and items that need to be harmonised and that will be included in a survey. An enlarged panel of experts (ENDOCELL-Seud Working Group) will be invited to participate in the survey and provide their ratings to the items to be harmonised. According to Delphi, an iterative investigation method will be adopted. Recommended measures will be finalised by the steering committee. The study received full ethical approval from the Ethical Committee of the Maastricht University (ref. FHML-REC/2021/103). The study findings will be available in both peer-reviewed articles and will also be disseminated to appropriate audiences at relevant conferences.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>Patient-derived cells cultured in the lab are simple and cost-effective methods used to study biological and dysfunctional or disease processes. These tools are frequently used in the field of reproductive medicine. However, the lack of clear recommendations and standardised methodology to guide the laboratory work of researchers can produce results that are not always reproducible and sometimes are incorrect. To remedy this situation, we define here a method to ascertain if researchers who routinely culture cells in the lab agree or disagree on the optimal laboratory techniques. This method will be used to make recommendations for future researchers working in the field of reproductive biology to reproducibly culture endometrial cells in the laboratory.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":" ","pages":"G1-G8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9422235/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9177345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Reproduction & FertilityPub Date : 2022-07-18eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1530/RAF-22-0026
Emmanuel Amabebe, Noopur Bhatnagar, Nitin Kamble, Steven Reynolds, Dilly O Anumba
{"title":"Exploring the antimicrobial properties of vaginal <i>Lactobacillus crispatus</i> against preterm birth-associated bacteria.","authors":"Emmanuel Amabebe, Noopur Bhatnagar, Nitin Kamble, Steven Reynolds, Dilly O Anumba","doi":"10.1530/RAF-22-0026","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-22-0026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The need to develop new treatments to prevent unprompted premature delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy remains pressing and unmet. Bacteria (<i>Lactobacillus</i> species) that promote vaginal health produce biochemical compounds that prevent the growth of microbes such as <i>Gardnerella vaginalis</i>. Overgrowth of <i>G. vaginalis</i> can cause vaginal infection with smelly discharge and increase a woman's risk of sexually transmitted infections and premature delivery. In this study, we examined how normal health-promoting (<i>L. crispatus</i>) and potentially harmful (<i>G. vaginalis</i>) vaginal bacteria interact in a laboratory setting. This was in order to observe natural and effective agent(s) from <i>L. crispatus</i> that can hinder the growth of <i>G. vaginalis</i> and accompanying immune response. We observed that <i>L. crispatus</i> clears <i>G. vaginalis</i> by itself and with several biochemical compounds that it produces. Such biochemical compounds can be developed into treatment for vaginal infections and premature delivery due to infection and inappropriate immune response.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":" ","pages":"L6-L8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/45/93/RAF-22-0026.PMC9346311.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40671325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Reproduction & FertilityPub Date : 2022-07-14eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1530/RAF-21-0116
Madara S B Ralapanawe, Sugandika Lakmali Gajaweera, Nishendra Karunaratne, Malcolm James Price, Pedro Melo, Arri Coomarasamy, Ioannis Gallos
{"title":"Chromosomal polymorphisms in assisted reproduction: an analysis of 942 cycles.","authors":"Madara S B Ralapanawe, Sugandika Lakmali Gajaweera, Nishendra Karunaratne, Malcolm James Price, Pedro Melo, Arri Coomarasamy, Ioannis Gallos","doi":"10.1530/RAF-21-0116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1530/RAF-21-0116","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has recently increased worldwide. The live birth rate per ICSI cycle is low, and over half of infertile couples remain childless. Chromosomal polymorphisms are up to five times more common in couples with infertility compared to the general population. We aimed to investigate the association between chromosomal polymorphisms and reproductive outcomes in couples undergoing ICSI treatment. We analysed 942 ICSI fresh and frozen embryo transfer cycles in 697 women who underwent karyotyping analysis using Giemsa-Trypsin-Leishman banding prior to assisted conception at the Fertility Centre of Lanka Hospitals, Sri Lanka, between 2016 and 2018. The primary outcomes were pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth rates. We compared outcomes according to the presence or absence of chromosomal polymorphism in females, males and couples. There were 294 pregnancies (31.2%) recorded in the study; 130 suffered a miscarriage (13.8%), 13 were ectopic pregnancies (1.3%) and 151 resulted in a live birth (16.0%). The evidence from univariable and multivariable analyses (adjusted for age, BMI, ovarian reserve and treatment type) did not confidently identify a difference in pregnancy, miscarriage or live birth rates between couples with no chromosomal polymorphisms compared to couples where the female, male or both partners were carriers of a chromosomal polymorphism. Further, we did not identify a clear association between the presence of chromosomal polymorphisms and reproductive outcomes compared to participants without chromosomal polymorphisms. Wide CIs precluded the identification of clinically meaningful associations.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>Infertility affects approximately one in eight couples worldwide. The use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where the sperm is directly injected into an egg using a micromanipulator outside the body, has become particularly popular in recent years. However, the success rate remains low. In human cells, the genetic material is arranged in structures called chromosomes. Chromosomal polymorphism is a normal variation where the genetic material is arranged differently to the average individual and is more common in infertile couples compared to the general population. We analysed data from 942 ICSI cycles in 697 couples who underwent karyotyping analysis to assess the changes in chromosomes between 2016 and 2018. The pregnancy rate was 31.2%, with 16.0% of participants experiencing a live birth, while 13.8% of pregnancies resulted in a miscarriage and 1.3% were outside the womb cavity (ectopic). The evidence did not identify a clear association between the chromosomal polymorphism and the outcome of treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":" ","pages":"133-139"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/5b/8e/RAF-21-0116.PMC9346325.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40672261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Reproduction & FertilityPub Date : 2022-07-11eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1530/RAF-22-0020
Roseanne Rosario, Wanyuan Cui, Richard A Anderson
{"title":"Potential ovarian toxicity and infertility risk following targeted anti-cancer therapies.","authors":"Roseanne Rosario, Wanyuan Cui, Richard A Anderson","doi":"10.1530/RAF-22-0020","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-22-0020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Unlike traditional chemotherapy agents which are generally cytotoxic to all cells, targeted anti-cancer therapies are designed to specifically target proliferation mechanisms in cancer cells but spare normal cells, resulting in high potency and reduced toxicity. There has therefore been a rapid increase in their development and use in clinical settings, including in curative-intent treatment regimens. However, the targets of some of these drugs including kinases, epigenetic regulatory proteins, DNA damage repair enzymes and proteasomes, have fundamental roles in governing normal ovarian physiology. Inhibiting their action could have significant consequences for ovarian function, with potentially long-lasting adverse effects which persist after cessation of treatment, but there is limited evidence of their effects on reproductive function. In this review, we will use literature that examines these pathways to infer the potential toxicity of targeted anti-cancer drugs on the ovary.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>Compared to traditional chemotherapy agents, anti-cancer therapies are thought to be highly effective at targeting cancer cells but sparing normal cells, resulting in reduced drug side effects. However, many of processes within the cells that these drugs affect are also important for the ovary to work normally, so suppressing them in this way could have long-lasting implications for female fertility. This review examines the potential toxicity of anti-cancer therapies on the ovary.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":"3 3","pages":"R147-R162"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/7c/e6/RAF-22-0020.PMC9346327.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10852721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Reproduction & FertilityPub Date : 2022-06-30eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1530/RAF-22-0005
Rhiannon L Bolton, Andrew Mooney, Matt T Pettit, Anthony E Bolton, Lucy Morgan, Gabby J Drake, Ruth Appeltant, Susan L Walker, James D Gillis, Christina Hvilsom
{"title":"Resurrecting biodiversity: advanced assisted reproductive technologies and biobanking.","authors":"Rhiannon L Bolton, Andrew Mooney, Matt T Pettit, Anthony E Bolton, Lucy Morgan, Gabby J Drake, Ruth Appeltant, Susan L Walker, James D Gillis, Christina Hvilsom","doi":"10.1530/RAF-22-0005","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-22-0005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biodiversity is defined as the presence of a variety of living organisms on the Earth that is essential for human survival. However, anthropogenic activities are causing the sixth mass extinction, threatening even our own species. For many animals, dwindling numbers are becoming fragmented populations with low genetic diversity, threatening long-term species viability. With extinction rates 1000-10,000 times greater than natural, <i>ex situ</i> and <i>in situ</i> conservation programmes need additional support to save species. The indefinite storage of cryopreserved (-196°C) viable cells and tissues (cryobanking), followed by assisted or advanced assisted reproductive technology (ART: utilisation of oocytes and spermatozoa to generate offspring; aART: utilisation of somatic cell genetic material to generate offspring), may be the only hope for species' long-term survival. As such, cryobanking should be considered a necessity for all future conservation strategies. Following cryopreservation, ART/aART can be used to reinstate lost genetics back into a population, resurrecting biodiversity. However, for this to be successful, species-specific protocol optimisation and increased knowledge of basic biology for many taxa are required. Current ART/aART is primarily focused on mammalian taxa; however, this needs to be extended to all, including to some of the most endangered species: amphibians. Gamete, reproductive tissue and somatic cell cryobanking can fill the gap between losing genetic diversity today and future technological developments. This review explores species prioritisation for cryobanking and the successes and challenges of cryopreservation and multiple ARTs/aARTs. We here discuss the value of cryobanking before more species are lost and the potential of advanced reproductive technologies not only to halt but also to reverse biodiversity loss.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>The world is undergoing its sixth mass extinction; however, unlike previous events, the latest is caused by human activities and is resulting in the largest loss of biodiversity (all living things on Earth) for 65 million years. With an extinction rate 1000-10,000-fold greater than natural, this catastrophic decline in biodiversity is threatening our own survival. As the number of individuals within a species declines, genetic diversity reduces, threatening their long-term existence. In this review, the authors summarise approaches to indefinitely preserve living cells and tissues at low temperatures (cryobanking) and the technologies required to resurrect biodiversity. In the future when appropriate techniques become available, these living samples can be thawed and used to reinstate genetic diversity and produce live young ones of endangered species, enabling their long-term survival. The successes and challenges of genome resource cryopreservation are discussed to enable a move towards a future of stable biodiversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":21128,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & Fertility","volume":" ","pages":"R121-R146"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/a8/af/RAF-22-0005.PMC9346332.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40672260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}